by Tasha Jones | Dec 17, 2018 | Articles, Books, Ireland, James Joyce, Ulysses
It was by happenstance that I picked up a copy of Paul Auster’s latest novel 4321 (2017) a couple of weeks ago at a McGill University “take a book leave a book” site. As expected from Paul Auster, the novel is hilarious, genius, meta and highly readable. But what was unexpected was that I found myself reading a re-imagined version of Ulysses.
by Tasha Jones | Oct 16, 2018 | Articles, Books, Montreal
When it was first published in 1836, The Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk caused a literary and religious storm in Montreal, and abroad. Why? Because the book was purported to be a real account of a young woman’s trials as an ‘inmate’ of Montreal’s Hôtel Dieu nunnery.
by Tasha Jones | Oct 14, 2018 | Articles, Fall, Recipes
This vegan pumpkin bread is easy to make and doesn’t require any fancy or expensive ingredients. It’s perfect served with tea or coffee and nobody will know it’s vegan, unless you tell them! For a savory version of this pumpkin bread simply omit the sugar and raisins. This bread would be a fantastic accompaniment with a seasonal soup or stew. Enjoy!
by Tasha Jones | Sep 19, 2018 | Articles, ASMR, Books, Finnegans Wake, James Joyce, Ulysses
Does Finnegans Wake have ASMR qualities? The term “auto sensory meridian response” was coined by Jennifer Allen, a cybersecurity specialist, in a Facebook group she founded in 2010. And since the phenomenon has exploded on the internet, especially on YouTube and Facebook, you are probably already familiar with it.
by Tasha Jones | May 22, 2018 | Articles, Bloomsday, Samuel Beckett, Theatre
In 1956 Beckett’s Waiting for Godot had its American premiere at the Coconut Grove in Miami. One of the stars of this legendary fiasco was Bert Lahr. Colleen Curran’s new comedy Godot at the Coconut Grove gives a behind the scenes look at the day of and morning after the disastrous opening night.
by Tasha Jones | Feb 25, 2018 | Articles, Books, Ulysses, William Blake
From the moment I laid eyes on the book William Blake by Kathleen Raine I knew that I had to have it. I was immediately hooked by the artwork of Blake (1757-1827) whose images slowly revealed themselves to my mind’s eye like those cunning illusions in the Magic Eye books I so loved as a kid. This had also been my experience of reading Joyce’s Ulysses, multiple times.
by Tasha Jones | Jan 24, 2018 | Articles, Books, James Joyce, Poetry, Robbie Burns
If you’re feeling adventurous and would like to try and decipher a passage from Finnegans Wake this article is for you. As an added bonus, I’ll share an amazing connection I personally have to the text, and to our newsletter Joyicity.
by Tasha Jones | Sep 19, 2017 | Articles, Walking Tours
September and October are two of my favorite months because the weather is just right for walking and exploring in Montreal. And for me, a walking tour is a way to experience history and an attempt to conjure up the past. However, as a Montrealer, I’m so used to thinking about this island as part of the New World that I often forget how much interesting history there is to discover right here.
by Tasha Jones | Jul 18, 2017 | Articles, Walking Tours
Last Saturday night I saw my city in a whole new dark light. That’s because I went on Haunted Montreal’s Haunted Mountain Tour led by local actor Donovan King. Donovan led our own sold-out walking tour on June 10 The History of the Irish in Montreal as part of this year’s Bloomsday festivities.
by Tasha Jones | May 15, 2017 | Articles
This month I met up with Sarah Frank who is one half of the Bombadils—a Celtic and Folk musical duo who have already released three albums. Their first album is named Fill Your Boots, in honor of a popular Newfoundland expression that means to “go for it”. And for...
by Tasha Jones | Apr 20, 2017 | Articles, Reading Groups Posts
Back by popular demand, Festival Bloomsday Montréal will be participating in three events at this year’s Blue Metropolis Festival. Celebrating 19 years of love for all things literary, the festival takes place between April 24 and April 30, 2017 at various locations around Montreal.
by Tasha Jones | Apr 18, 2017 | Articles
Eleanor moved to Canada with her husband in 1987 after graduating from University College Dublin in Library Studies. But she struggled to find a job when she first arrived in Montreal because of her lack of French.
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