The final study on offer in the London Literary Salon for this year is fittingly James Joyce’s lyrical masterpiece, “The Dead”.
Usually one would not dare suggest reading the final paragraph first, but in this case, nothing is given away. Just know the power and resonate beauty of this paragraph is immeasurably increased when you arrive here through the journey of the story.
A few light taps upon the pane made him turn to the window. It had begun to snow again. He watched sleepily the flakes, silver and dark, falling obliquely against the lamplight. The time had come for him to set out on his journey westward. Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland. It was falling on every part of the dark central plain, on the treeless hills, on the Bog of Allen and, farther westward, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shannon waves. It was falling, too, upon every part of the lonely churchyard on the hill where Michael Furey lay buried. It lay thickly drifted on the crooked crosses and headstones, on the spears of the little gate, on the barren thorns. His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.
James Joyce’s ‘The Dead Salon Intensive Monday December 17th This story of a party on the edge of the year, at the end of an era, on the edge of Modernity is a wonderful introduction to Joyce’s fluid style. His use of epiphanies and the richly resonant references that build over the course of this novella are carefully employed to evoke the layers of the characters as they gather in the holiday festivities, each carrying their own wounds and histories. For those still missing our work with Ulysses or if you would like to taste a bit of Joyce for the holidays, this is a wonderful study to join.
Coming Salons for the New Year
Starting the third week of January 2013
Ulysses by James Joyce
There is a strong argument for studying this huge and intimidating text- book list chart-topper of 100 greatest books of all time, critics’ darling, most lauded/least read, the book that many literary academics dedicate their lives to studying…but you will only know for yourself by diving in. I believe the only way to study it is with a group of hungry, curious readers who all contribute to evoking meaning—through their questions as well as their insights. The Ulysses Salon will commence with a close study of the first section. Any time spent studying Joyce leaves one a better reader- a broader thinker- even if all the references, repetitions, epiphanies and allusions are not immediately understood.
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
Starting the week of January 14th; I am in the process of determining the schedule so please email me with requests: Thursday evenings, Thursday or Friday afternoons are both a possibility…we will meet for four weeks.
