Hi Alex –

Well, I’m on the administrative side in my job. We have a variety of programs, but yes teaching arts in the school is the gist of it. I am mostly in charge of organizing adult ed. stuff – lectures and whatnot. Sometimes I think about teaching, but mostly I wish to win the lottery so I can lurk around libraries all day researching and writing.

Haha. No worries :) I remember when I first checked it out of the library – there was the proper version and then Burgess’ abridged/annotated one. I remember rolling my eyes and thinking “Whatever, I don’t need an abridged book!” Week later, I sheepishly returned to get the Burgess because I did not have a clue what was going on!! Don’t be intimidated – I’m truly a casual reader, I won’t even pretend that I understand even a small fraction of the book and its surrounding criticism. I love reading it aloud in an awful Irish accent – it actually does help you get a better grasp of the language’s music & sense (not to mention humor!)

My literature thoughts/interests are still very rudimentary and muddled. I wish I had the confidence to pursue a doctorate (not to mention sufficient funds to pay for such trifling things as rent and food!) I’ve always been a Theatre person, esp. Shakespeare...so performance studies was a natural progression. plus i was drawn to the very interdisciplinary nature of the field.

Chaucer rocks, I can’t believe it took me so long to get to him. His use of language is amazing, and its his kind of Protean mix of oral storytelling slowly & strangely morphing into printed text which intrigues me. And where I see a lot of links to what Joyce does with language in his work. Esp. obsessed with his House of Fame, that’s the poem I would love to compare with FW. Its crazy! I dunno. Crap, that’s right. I’ forgot about Lucia’s ABC and whatnot. It is true about the scarcity of research (as far as I’m aware) on Chaucer-Joyce. Thanks for reminding me about Cooper. I had made a mental note to read her, but haven’t had a chance yet… I doubt I’m the person to fill that research void, but…!

Am enjoying Speak, Memory. I’ve heard about the Nabokov situation, but have not followed it closely. It’s a v. tricky problem, figuring out the best way for an author’s family & estate to deal with his legacy. On one hand you’ve got people hungry for any scrap of knowledge that could lend insight…but then a person, no matter how famous & incredible an author, should be entitled to some privacy! I wouldn’t want to be in that position. Like Stephen Joyce…(although frankly I don’t really care for him, from what little I know, especially when it comes to the treatment of Lucia’s history)

Hmmm. The Gordon sounds interesting. Plot summary of the wake is another v. tricky problem! I do feel that, at the end of the day, there must be some sort of fairly ‘normal’ narrative structure holding FW together – but what it is, how you find it and then describe it, is an entirely different matter, for which I have no insight!

well, have a good day...
Julie

Lähettänyt: palimpsestuous 10:59 am (EST) Jul 22, 2008

Hi Alex -

Distinguished Librarian's Lackey sounds like a fun gig! I'm in the middle of trying to transition to a new career, just can't figure out what yet (work in arts education in addition to being in school). I definitely agree about Joyce & Joycean thoughts infecting everything else I read. But I guess that's only appropriate, seeing as that's more or less how he read the world (absorbing everything and then finding a way to relate it all back to him!!)

Been reading FW since I was 16. Still can't claim to be even remotely an expert on it, but I am nonetheless totally hooked. Love how it is a text you can keep on reading and discover new, totally random things each time. Have the Tindall, and keep on meaning to get the McHugh. One day!

A month or so ago I read "How Joyce Wrote Finnegans Wake" - some intriguing stuff in there and very different approach from other things I've read. I agree with that critique of manuscript studies. Of course the field offers a fascinating insight into his writing & creative process..but at some points while I was reading the Crispi book I felt like they were focusing on minutia that didn't really accomplish much in the grand scheme of things.

I'm primarily interested in language and how it 'performs' (my first Masters is in Performance Studies so I tend to see everything as a performance these days!), the evolution of printed language and how different technological advances (printing press, camera, tape recorder etc) change/affect storytelling techniques. (Not sure if that makes ANY sense whatsoever! Ah well)

I started up my current grad program last Fall. I studied Chaucer for the first time and was very excited to make some links between him and Joyce (although I seem to recall reading somewhere that Joyce hadn't read Chaucer?? I could be making that up, though.) I could very easily compare FW with Chaucer's early poetry - seriously, what is Finnegans Wake if not an extended and manic Dream Vision?!?

Currently reading "Speak, Memory" Been slowly discovering Nabokov over the past year or so. I love him. He constantly cracks me up. Such a wickedly playful and brilliant writer. What are you reading these days?

- Julie

Lähettänyt: palimpsestuous 1:01 am (EST) Jul 22, 2008

Hi -

Thank you for the library compliment. I must say, *your* Joyce collection is quite literally awesome!
Are you studying Joyce or just a crazy collector like me? (I'm back in grad school & would love to write on him, but not sure if I'll ever get around to it...) Any recommendations for good FW criticism?

"Joyce and the Joyceans" is a collection of essays. Its OK, I haven't had a chance to dig into it too much. I tend to be a Joyce magpie, picking up most books about him I can find and saving them to read for a rainy day...

cheers,
julie

Lähettänyt: palimpsestuous 9:56 pm (EST) Jul 21, 2008