Mrkgnao!

In college, I took a class on ULYSSES with noted Joyce scholar Hugh Kenner. He actually read us the book, out loud, over the course of one autumn semester. He'd pause sometimes to tell anecdotes, offer interpretations, and light cigarettes. It was incredible.

The next summer, I went to Dublin with my then-boyfriend, who'd taken Kenner's class with me. The photo shows us atop a Martello tower significant both to the book and to Joyce's life. We walked along the Liffey, drank pints of Guinness, and visited the Hill of Howth. It was literary tourism at its best.

Today is June 16, which ULYSSES fans know as Bloomsday, the day the book takes place. Happy Bloomsday, everyone!