Ready, set, go: Read “Ulysses.”
That’s the subject of “Ulysses in 80-Reading James Joyce Masterpiece in 80 Days,” a podcast and international community summer reading project starting June 1 and ending Aug. 19.
It’s presented by Mark Sanford Gross, a writing coach in Mendocino County who’s tackling Joyce’s 1922 famous (or infamous) 700-plus page modernist novel for the third time, with Cliona O’Farrelly, a professor of immunology at Trinity College Dublin, and Zoe Patterson, a third-year PhD student in English at Trinity College Dublin.
“The podcast is informal, unscripted, interruptive in the best way, and, we hope, fun,” says Gross, adding, “We read about eight to 10 pages a day over 80 days and stay connected through social media, email and even face-to-face chats.”
The first podcast, already online, covers the question of which edition to read. In it, Gross says, “If you’ve never read the book or tried once and didn’t get far, you’re not alone. There are hundreds of versions, guides, parodies, opinions and reference books out there. But really, we just want you to read the book. And get through it,” he says.
Patterson, who researches the dynamics of reading groups and collaborative reading, says Joyce meant for readers to be perplexed by the story, which takes place on a single day, June 16, 1904, in Dublin. She says, “You’re not supposed to get it the first time. Get comfortable with being confused.”
O’Farrelly, who with Patterson has hosted previous “Ulysses in 80” sessions, says, “I have been struggling and wrestling and dealing and enjoying and loving ‘Ulysses’ for the last 20 years, and then discovered only in the last four years how much fun it is to read a really difficult book with a whole group.”
The programming, which is designed for readers of all backgrounds, includes: daily guides that divide the tome into “approachable” 10-to-15-page segments; interviews with Joyce scholars and contemporary writers; audio clips from the 1982 RTE dramatized version of “Ulysses”; private Facebook group and Bluesky discussions; and an emphasis on the book’s contemporary relevance, focusing on “Ulysses’” universal themes about humanity, identity, love and memory.
“‘Ulysses in 80’ offers more than a reading experience,” says Gross. “It’s a chance to connect—across time, geography and community—through one extraordinary novel.”
And to answer the query of which edition of “Ulysses” to read? Patterson recommends any one that’s “recognized as reputable”: Alma, Oxford, Penguin, Wordsworth and even free online at Project Gutenberg.
The presenters assure participants that no prior Joyce experience is necessary.
Find “Ulysses in 80” podcasts on Apple and Spotify or email readingulyssesin80@gmail.com.
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