Love, Poetry and Revolution - Wednesday 22nd February 2023

Broken night's sleep and woke up with a headache. I think there are several big things on my mind.

I started the day with a round of exercise, before knuckling down to work.

First thing, E was both very gurgle-y and hot, so we kept an eye on her in the day. It was nothing too alarming, but she does like to keep me on alert! 

As yesterday, I walked at lunchtime, this time for over 20 minutes, mainly because I won't get a second chance owing to this evening's 'UFA 2023'.

Although E has remained hot and red-cheeked throughout the day, she seems to be stable, so the alert level remains high but there are no clear signs of deterioration.

Work's now over and I need to get organised for 'Ulysses For All' at six. 

Tonight's session on 'Proteus' is over. Two hours flew by, despite some very heavy discussions on Aristotle and Joyce. 'Proteus' is one of the most difficult chapters and is often the point at which readers who don't finish the book give up. (Enrico Torrinoni had a great idea that he uses with his students - start with episode 4, 'Calypso', since it is the 'second beginning' of the novel.)  Fran O'Rourke, who is both a professor of Philosophy and also an expert on Joyce and Philosophy (he has two PhDs, which seems a tad greedy), gave a talk on the way Joyce made use of Aristotle's ideas which helped to open the chapter up further. 

One of the course members raised an interesting question about why Joyce wrote this chapter as he did, asking 'why did he make it so difficult to understand?' I am pondering that question and an answer is formulating in my mind. It will be in the form of a mini-essay, when it emerges. Foolishly, I plan to share that with the group. Might even write some of it here. (Why oh why do I have to work? To pay the bills you bloody idiot! Oh, to be an Idler, fully)

Son #1 put the dinner on (later than planned) and we had a deep chat in the kitchen about some serious matters.  Over dinner we watched the first episode of 'North Sea Connection', which was very good.

More chat with son #1 then a long chat with Q, before I got ready for bed and sleep. ('Of all the bars in the world, you had to pick this one')

Jenny Hval / 'High Alice' / 'The Practice Of Love'



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