Gabrielle Carey, photo by Jamie Kidston, ANU.

Professor Michael Farrell spoke at the at the Gaelic Club, Sydney, on 3 February 2024 as part of the event to launch James Joyce: A Life by Gabrielle Carey, Australian Scholarly Publishing. 

The significance of certain dates holds great importance in our lives, often intertwining with personal narratives and historical events. One such date is James Joyce’s birthday, which coincides with the publication date of his seminal work, Ulysses. Joyce himself described this date as the ‘second day of the second month of the second year of the second century,’ marking February 2, 1922, also known as Candlemas Day, symbolising the end of the Epiphany, forty days after Christmas. Both Joyce and Gabrielle, whose book James Joyce: A Life we launch here today, attached a great significance to dates, reflecting a belief in prophetic connections and superstitions. Gabrielle described Finnegans Wake as being like the I Ching, and consulted it.

Reflecting on my personal connection to Gabrielle, I vividly recall our first encounter here at the Gaelic Club on June 16, 2011, during a Bloomsday event she had organised. It was here that she first expressed to me her interest in Finnegans Wake and the reading group, which she hosted as ‘Hosty’ in her charming kitchen in Ashfield on the last Sunday of every month for seventeen years. Despite occasional interruptions, the group persevered in their collective reading and interpretation of Joyce’s enigmatic narrative, finding confusion and amusement in its humorous and obscene elements. Gabrielle’s approach to the group was characterised by a blend of fun, laughter, and disciplined curation, ensuring that all members contributed meaningfully to the discussions.

In Gabrielle’s book, she eloquently describes Harriet Shaw Weaver’s support of James Joyce, particularly her affinity for the more risqué aspects of his work. Similarly, Gabrielle possessed a deep appreciation for Joyce’s rebellious and seditious themes, fostering an environment where laughter coexisted with serious literary analysis. Her dedication mirrored Joyce’s commitment to his daughter, Lucia, as depicted in his struggles to navigate help for her mental illness amid the chaos of impending war. Ultimately, Gabrielle’s book can be viewed as a love letter—to literature, to Joyce himself, and to the unpredictable nature of life. As Finnegans Wake was Joyce’s final work so Gabrielle’s book about him is her final work and binds together a lifetime of scholarly work.

Gabrielle’s legacy is one of celebration and introspection, a testament to her ability to navigate the complexities of literature and life with grace and humour. As we honour her memory today, let us reflect on the enduring connections forged through literature and the profound and perhaps unexpected impact of dates and events on our personal journeys.

 

Professor Michael Farrell is the Director of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. He was previously a Professor of Psychiatry at King’s College London. He was born and raised in Ireland. He is lifelong reader of James Joyce.

 

James Joyce: A Life by Gabrielle Carey is available from https://scholarly.info/book/james-joyce-a-life/
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