@MichaelGreen OMG - a cultural question here that is actually à propos!... Think I'm feeling the beginnings of a mild heart attack coming on... :-) - not really a Bloom's Day aficionado myself - I've tried to read Ulysses about 10 times - just can't get past page 40... you'd think I'd do better, going as I did to the same school as the man, but just can't "grok" it. Bloom's Day is basically a load of pseuds poncing around Dublin in boaters and blazers spouting passages from the work.
Personally, I honestly believe that most of them only pretend to understand it...
Mind you, I like some of his other works (Portrait of the Artist... Dubliners..) - and it's a good thing that he's recognised with a "day" in his honour - even if it's a work of which I"m not the biggest fan...
I reckon you're right about the participants' literary credentials. Still, it's an excuse to dress up, have a nice walk and visit a few pubs. What's not to like?
Well, they won't be visiting any pubs this year - unless they want to be drinking out of plastic glasses - no indoor dining or drinking - pubs and restaurants can serve take-away though!
