2022 marks the 100-year anniversary of James Joyce's novel Ulysses. Why is this text still so widely read? What makes it such a difficult novel to read? I was first introduced to Joyce as an undergraduate, and it was difficult to read through, but incredibly rewarding. You feel like you've accomplished something special when you get through a text like Ulysses or Finnigan's Wake. This week on the Neutral Ground Podcast, our guest is Dr. Sam Slote. Sam is an Associate Professor at Trinity College Dublin. His area of specialty is James Joyce, so he's the perfect person to speak to about this topic. We talk about the difficulty in reading Ulysses; how Joyce used multiple genre's within the text; the important role that Shakespeare played in inspiring Joyce's work; why Joyce respected Dante's epic over all others, including the Odyssey; the Bloom's Day phenomenon; the philosophy of Stephen Dedalus; Nietzsche's influence on Joyce; and where Joyce studies are going today. 

// EPISODE LINKS //

Dr. Slote's Works (Affiliate): https://amzn.to/3KA5Li2

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjoemeyer/

I realize that you do not have to do any of this. Therefore, even f you do just one of those items listed, I am genuinely grateful. Try to keep one foot firmly planted on the Neutral Ground, and have a great day.