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James Joyce’s Ulysses: A Three-Part Course with Dr. Joseph Luzzi
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Joseph Luzzi received his Ph.D. from Yale University and is a Professor of Comparative Literature and Faculty Member in Italian Studies at Bard College, where he has taught since 2002 after being a visiting faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania. A frequent contributor to publications including the New York Times, TLS, and Chronicle of Higher Education, he is the author of 5 books, including "My Two Italies," a New York Times Editors' Choice selection and "In a Dark Wood: What Dante Taught Me About Grief, Healing, and the Mysteries of Love," a Vanity Fair “Must-Read” selection. His work has been translated into multiple languages and his many awards include a Yale College Teaching Prize, Dante Society of America Essay Prize, and Wallace Fellowship at Villa I Tatti, Harvard's Center for Italian Renaissance Studies. In 2017 he was named Cittadino Onorario/Honorary Citizen in Acri, Calabria, his Italian parents' birthplace. His next book is "Botticelli's Secret: The Lost Drawings and the Rediscovery of the Renaissance," which will be published by W. W. Norton. Professor Luzzi is the founder of the Virtual Book Club, an online community of readers dedicated to exploring some of the best books ever written. Learn more at JosephLuzzi.com.
Not suitable for children under age 13 (sensitive content).
90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.
Dr. Luzzi made the very difficult seem possible (at least a little). His enthusiasm for the book came through in his explanations. I enjoyed it very much and came to appreciate Joyce - even if I don't have the patience to read it in its entirety.
I studied Ulysses in great details many years ago. It was a tough slog but I did read the whole book. What was missing was a comprehensible framework & why it was a book that needed to be read. Dr Luzzi gave me that missing perspective by stepping back, giving context and positioning the innovative aspects as a framework with short passages to illustrate Joyce's innovation. I feel I have a much better understanding after an enjoyable 3 lectures and conversations.
I really enjoyed this course. Reading Ulysses is certainly a challenge, but Dr Luzzi really helped me to view it in a new way. And I finally finished it!
I have never read Ulysses before and always wanted to but was intimidated. Dr. Luzzi’s seminar has been so enlightening because he is a comparative literature professor. Understanding the text, the literary styles, puzzles and enormous political and historical references are explained within the context of Joyce’s life in Paris. Why is Joyce so relevant today? And why did I chose to read Joyce now? Dr. Luzzi will take you to Joyce’s Dublin and Paris in the 1920’s to explore Ulysses. It was so interesting and thought provoking. I am thoroughly enjoying this literary journey.
While I struggled mightily with Ulysses, I never struggled with Professor Luzzi’s explanations of Ulysses. He clearly laid out what Joyce was doing, and, consequently, redeemed him. My frustration and anger with Joyce were rescued by Luzzi’s clarity and enthusiasm. His love of classic literature is infectious and, again, redemptive. I will give Joyce a second chance.