SAXTON B. LITTLE FREE LIBRARY
319 Route 87 Columbia, CT 06237
Phone: 860 228 0350 Fax: 860 228 1569 E-mail: staff@columbiactlibrary.org

Monday, Friday, Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Home Adult Services* Library Services Children's Corner Hot Spot (for Teens)

Home

About the Saxton B.

Library Board

Friends of the Library
(updated 4/08)

Online Library Catalog

iConn.org

Event Calendar

Contact Us

Library Passes

Links

Diary of Saxton B. Little

Comments

Speaking Volumes

Keeping you up-to-date on what's happening at your library. We invite you to join in the conversation!
MARCH 11, 2009
An Irish Author in March

On blog days I often check the Today in Literature website and sometimes do a quick search for Today in History. Most times this doesn’t net anything I discuss, but it is the kind of trivia I like and affords me a good excuse to not feel guilty about two minutes of this indulgence.

 According to the website, today in 1923 James Joyce wrote to his patron that he had just begun a ‘work in progress’.   The bleep caught my attention since earlier today I caught a snippet of a conversation between my colleagues. One, speaking about a collection of short stories, had mentioned James Joyce. I inwardly groaned. I’ve read a fair amount of Joyce as required reading over the years, some works multiple times. I can’t think Joyce without the little voice in my head asking, ‘Who is Parnell again?’ I have to admit, most of his work simply confuses me and I’ve never been brave enough to try Ulysses. 
 
The website went on to say that the book referenced would become Finnegan’s Wake sixteen years later. However, this is not what I found interesting. The bleep also went on to say  that when Joyce’s wife found on her husband had started “another book again,” she asked if, instead of “that chop suey you’re writing,” could he try “sensible books that people can understand.”
 
I have no idea if this is true, but I certainly appreciated the sentiment.
 
 
 
If you’d like to read some Joyce or a biography about Joyce’s life – come by the library and check something out! 

                             


   Add a Comment
Enter your comment below, then click Submit.
Nickname: (displays with your comment)
Comment:
Enter the letters you see on the left:

-------------------------------------------------------

Subscribe via RSS
Search

Categories