The Holy Office

They both lived in a Martello Tower, sure, but what else do James Joyce and Bono have in common? We take a short break from analyzing Ulysses to take a look at one of Joyce’s early poems - “The Holy Office.” If you love 100+ year old gossip, strap in! This one gets dishy. Topics include the significance of the year 1904 in James Joyce’s life, the Irish Literary Revival, a young Joyce’s penchant for writing angry poetry, Joyce’s desire for artistic Truth rather than mere aesthetics, why you should care about “The Holy Office” and how it will further your understanding of Ulysses, The Goblin - Joyce’s unrealized literary magazine, Joycean trash talk, the laxative qualities of Joyce’s writing, how the Irish Literary revival actually reinforced Victorian class structure and cultural mores, Cheddar Goblin, and why Joyce saw himself as the Aquinas of Dublin.