James Joyce: The Most Famous Writer Few Have Read But You Should
Course Description: James Joyce once wrote, apparently seriously, “The demand that I make of my reader is that he should devote his whole life to reading my works.” Few have actually read all, much less any, of his four major works. Why should we read them? Why did a Modern Library poll rank "Ulysses" as the greatest English language novel of the 20th century? Why do some rank Joyce as one of the most influential writers of the 20th Century? The answer includes original, beautiful prose of unequalled vocabulary in which the words flow with unparalleled, poetical precision; revolutionary structural and stylistic creativity; encyclopedic content; satire and humor; and deep human insight. Only Joyce could have written these books, in which the particular details of his Dublin and his teeming mind are refracted into the universal. This course provides an overview of Joyce’s life, literary career, works and influence. We will read selected excerpts. Participants will glimpse the extraordinary genius of Joyce
Please note: The instructor will provide selected excerpts in the course presentation. Any reading of the books themselves will be done outside the class time and entirely at the discretion of the students.
Instructor: John Hayward Burkley graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Notre Dame and cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School. He retired after 43 years in international law, including working at Mastercard and Bank of America. Since being introduced to "Ulysses" and "Finnegans Wake" in college, he has read each multiple times, and led discussion groups on both.