IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

On Bloomsday, ‘Ulysses’ meets Twitter

Forget about Ashton Kutcher. James Joyce's "Ulysses," one of the most difficult novels in English, is on Twitter.
/ Source: The Associated Press

Forget about Ashton Kutcher. James Joyce's "Ulysses," one of the most difficult novels in English, is on Twitter.

Two devotees of "Ulysses" have adapted its 10th chapter to Twitter, which limits users to 140 characters per post. Called "Wandering Rocks," the chapter is especially well-suited to Twitter because it follows 19 Dubliners going about their daily business.

For three years now, Ian Bogost, a Georgia Tech professor, and a friend, Ian McCarthy, have commemorated "Bloomsday" on Twitter on June 16. That date in 1904 is when the entirety of "Ulysses" takes place, chronicling the experiences of a man named Leopold Bloom.

The Twitter stream includes updates for characters mentioned in the chapter, including Bloom and Stephen Dedalus, the young writer who represents Joyce's alter ego. Traditionally, the activities in "Wandering Rocks" begin at 2:55 p.m. Dublin time, which is 9:55 a.m. Eastern time.

of the performance, and read a news release about the project.