Girls, Can You Believe We Have Made It To Another Bloomsday??????

     
                            Along with a pre-Sunday Father's Day celebration, with he, my sister, Monsieur and moi, (which was held At Bertucci's, of course!!!!), and acknowledging  the birthday of my one and only niece, the Newberry-winning author, this past Saturday happened to be Bloomsday.  As most literary types know, it is defined in two ways--as June 16, 1904, the day on which James Joyce's novel, "Ulysses," takes place (and its lead character happens to be named Leopold Bloom), or, according to historians, the day on which Joyce met the woman who would become his wife, Nora.  Whatever, celebrations call for readings from this most famous and difficult (though not nearly so as "Finnegan's Wake") literary work, most notably Molly Bloom's famous soliloquy.  In fact, I had planned to read just that aloud, to the residents of  Villa St. Martha, in Downingtown, PA.  I am sure that would have floored them--a seven minutes (at least) monologue describing a woman's progressive thoughts during the sexual act, culminating in orgasm!!!!  Not only would many residents (if they could hear and understand) have to be rushed to the hospital with cardiac arrest, but, honey, the idea of attaining an orgasm in seven minutes is, for me, at this point, SO fictitious, it would call upon every ounce of consummate acting ability I had to muster it up!!!!!   Maybe, when I was in college--but now???? Are you kidding?????

                        As it turned out, we did not stay at the Villa long enough to prove my experiment; just say the words "Barnes and Noble", and I am off and running!!!!!  Kudos must go to the B an d N down here, for I was successful in finding something I have not been able to find in New York--a paperback edition of "The Last Dickens," by Matthew Pearl,  author of "The Dante Club" and "The Poe Shadow," which I intend to read after finishing my Modern Library edition of Dickens' own "The Mystery Of Edwin Drood."  Which, would you believe, Roundabout is doing (the Rupert Holmes musical, that is,!!!!) next season?????  Why???????
While I can't read the Pearl book without reading the Dickens original, I have no desire to revisit a mediocre musical with an interesting dramatic gimmick, but not a suitable score to match!!!!  And will this 'Drood' boast a cast the likes of Betty Buckley, Cleo Laine, George Rose, and Judy Kuhn???? I think not!!!!

                      But this is Bloomsday, not Dickens, so back to Joyce, with a hearty wish for us and-- "Yes," I said.  "Yes, I said," YES! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                      A Happy Bloomsday to all--Joyceans and non!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!