Bloomsday

Bloomsday

A Tribute to James Joyce

The Rosenbach Museum

Philadelphia, PA

June 16, 2024

It was a perfect day for this event, maybe a bit too hot and sunny but it was great to be outdoors on this beautiful day.  Each year, this museum pays tribute to Jame Joyce's novel, Ulysses.  The museum is in possession of the original manuscript and various high-brows in the city sign up to read a few pages from the novel and by the end of the day, most of the book has been read out loud to the general public. And the audience sits, mostly silently, and listens with enthusiasm or until they finally have had enough of listening to a confusing story. The museum is also opened and two pages of the hand written manuscript is all display for everyone to read.

There was a beer garden so we went there for a delicious beer. Once seated in the shade, I found that I was particularly drawn to people watching as a crowd of individuals showed up that doesn't usually hang in my circle. There were people who were proudly dressed to look like James Joyce. Many people were well dressed for the event. Some came with their individual copy of the book and read along. There were too many dogs, panting and sitting under chairs. and the heat was too oppressive for them. Older people tended to have umbrellas that they used to shield from from the sun. And after two hours, I was finished with the event and I went home.