Nederland Community Library honors literature's original bad boy with event celebrating 100 years of Joyce's 'Ulysses'

Jan. 28—What deems a book obscene?

In the 1900s, James Joyce was the ultimate bad boy of literature.

Before his novel "Ulysses" was even completed, it received harsh backlash mostly due to its highly unique style, four-letter words and some sexual content.

In 1918, the Irish writer sent chapters of it to The Little Review. The New York-based literary magazine published them in installments, to the outrage of many.

The Post Office Department confiscated the issues and burned them. Margaret Anderson, the publisher of The Little Review, was jailed. The prose was labeled dangerous and considered to be a potential contributor to the destruction of youth.

In 1922, an American-born bookstore owner living in Paris, Sylvia Beach, made the brave decision to publish Joyce's full story that artfully chronicles the encounters of protagonist Leopold Bloom in Dublin over the course of an ordinary day.

Upon its release, the work of fiction was immediately banned in America and England.

Nederland Community Library is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the printing of the iconic author's pioneering publication — that is also the famed wordsmith's birthday — with a free event on Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. Interested attendees can register at Nedlib.org to secure a seat. Tickets are limited.

"I have read 'Ulysses,' I think, eight times," said Dr. Reed Bye, former Naropa professor, poet and James Joyce scholar, who will be participating in the upcoming event. "I have taught it in class at least six times. And each time I have come to a deeper enjoyment of the great range and depth of its vision and feeling."

In addition to receiving much disapproval for having a scene of self-pleasuring, the book was ridiculed for its style and structure. Joyce's stream-of-consciousness writing in "Ulysses" — while scorned initially — was groundbreaking for the time and certainly paved the way for Jack Kerouac, Hunter S. Thompson and many of the writers of the 20th century.

"Probably the biggest misconception is that its telling is just random in what it includes and that it doesn't hang together in a clearly progressive narrative," said Bye, who holds a doctorate in English literature from the University of Colorado.

The stream-of-consciousness writing actually gives the reader intimate insight into the minds of Bloom and other characters throughout the novel.

"It is a deeply human story," Bye said. "One thing thought, often becomes another."

At Wednesday's event, Reed will give a talk and dive deeper into the controversy surrounding the 730-page book.

"I am really looking forward to this event, partially because book censorship has risen its ugly head again," said Janette Taylor, a Nederland Community Library staff member. "'Ulysses' was not the only book banned in the (1920s), but also any book about birth control or sex education was banned. The story of the Comstock Laws and the brave people who stood up for this book is fascinating."

The "Ulysses" event will include a short documentary film featuring owner of Shakespeare and Company bookstore, Beach, the publisher who took a chance on the novel when others were too afraid.

"We will also read aloud some short sections of the book, so people can get a feel for the language," Taylor said. "You really do not have to have read 'Ulysses' to attend this event. It will be just as interesting either way."

Over the years, reference books have been penned to help readers navigate Joyce's complex narrative. Yet, many feel it's best to jump in and let the prose guide the way.

"'Ulysses' is a hard book to read because it breaks all of the rules we are used to when reading a novel," Taylor said. "The reason it is considered so important is that it broke through a huge number of boundaries that were tradition in the world of literature — from the subjects it dealt with, to the lack of time-honored structure, grammar and punctuation."

Much like those "Parental Advisory" labels that were plastered on the front of CD jackets in the 1990s, the fact that "Ulysses" was banned in America only made it that more popular with readers. Throughout its ban, copies were smuggled into the U.S. and sold at rather high prices for the time.

"The final chapter is a stream-of-consciousness, 45-page, utterly un-punctuated monologue from Molly, the main character's wife, yet it is splendid to read if you can just let go of your expectations," Taylor said.

The book, that was frequently burned by custom officials in ports around the world, has not only inspired other works of literary fiction, but has managed to surface in popular music.

The song "Rejoyce" by Jefferson Airplane is said to be inspired by "Ulysses." Scottish indie band Franz Ferdinand released a song "Ulysses (The Disco Bloodbath Effect)" in 2009.

"It was one of the first novels to talk about intimate activities and opened the door for many books to explore moments of humanity that were simply not spoken of," Taylor said. "But first, thousands of copies of the book would be burned on the docks of the U.S. and U.K. until the Comstock Laws were finally broken by a 'Ulysses' trial in the early (1930s)."

In 2004, Folk singer Mason Jennings dropped "Ulysses," and on the critically acclaimed track he sings:

"I went into twelve bookstores looking for ulysses

Motherwell led me to believe all my questions would be answered

Now I have it here sitting on the table

Another word for the universe"

In his lyrics, he references expressionist painter Robert Motherwell, who credits Joyce with having a profound impact on his work. Motherwell first read "Ulysses" while traveling through Europe in 1935. In 1947, he crafted an abstract painting and named it after Joyce's modernist novel.

British creative Richard Hamilton has imagined and reimagined the wanderings of the book's protagonist Leopold Bloom within drawings, etchings and digital prints.

"I hope we have a lot of people come to share some cider and Irish soda bread with us and learn about the publication of 'Ulysses'," Taylor said. "We are lucky to have Reed Bye join us to share his love of the author and his work."