June 16, 1904: Joyce's Bloomsday Book

6/16/1904 Joyce's Bloomsday Book
On this day in 1904 James Joyce and Nora Barnacle had their first date, thus giving Joyce the day upon which he would base Ulysses, and giving the rest of us "Bloomsday." The ways in which Nora Barnacle is and is not Molly Bloom continue to be discussed but it seems agreed that she was Joyce's only irreplaceable relationship -- and the only one allowed to call him Jim.

6/16/1904 James Joyce, Nora and Bloomsday
On their first first date, Nora Barnacle stood James Joyce up. Two days later -- June 16, 1904 -- Joyce got his second first date, and the date upon which he would eventually base Ulysses. The ways in which Nora Barnacle was and was not Molly Bloom continue to be discussed, but many agree that had Nora not been the woman she was, neither Joyce, nor Bloomsday nor Ulysses would be what they are.