At It Again´s Titbits

While Ulysses will keep me busy for the next 78 days until Groundhog Day, the idea behind the Groundhog Day Challenge comes from a bitesize booklet by At It Again called Romping Through Ulysses.

In the opening paragraph they mention that James Joyce was born on Groundhog Day 1882 and with that little titbit of information, The Groundhog Day Challenge was born.

The 2nd of February might not be a very recognisable date for celebration unless you live in Punxatawny, Philedelphia but knowing that Ulysses was published on Joyce's 40th birthday meant that something special would have to be done for 2/2/22 to celebrate the centenary anniversary of Ulysses.

Don't expect 140 candles on a cake but I knew I would have to combine the beloved comedy classic Groundhog Day with the centenary celebration of Ulysses and Joyce's own 140th anniversary of his birth and I started The Groundhog Day Challenge to encourage people to pick up a copy of Ulysses and to try and finish it by Groundhog Day 2022.

Those who have read it may wish to re-read it or post selfies with their book or comment on what they liked or even hated about the book. It is a challenging read and I hope to finish it in time.

For those short of time, may I suggest checking out At It Again and their fantastic bitesize book, Romping Through Ulysses or maybe consider an audiobook to listen to.

Romping Through Ulysses is full of little titbits such as the origin of Blooms´ newspaper Titbits which he reads on the throne when no one else was writing about toilets.

Ulysses was banned and burnt and even considered pornographic 100 years ago but today as we educate ourselves on how to wash our hands and continue to wear masks like a century ago, people can pick up a copy of Ulysses and make up their own minds about Joyce's dirty little clever mind that mentioned ordinary yet extraordinary details of a day in Dublin. Wash your hands and pick up a bar of soap from Sweny´s Pharmacy, spend a penny while reading tidbits or visit night time for a good time.

At It Again combine theatre and publication where they bring Joyce to life on stage, and scribble down all the juicy salacious tidbits you might enjoy when considering reading Ulysses but find yourself stuck on the loo, not knowing what to do.

I just received Romping Through Dubliners, Romping Through Dorian Grey, and Romping Through Dracula this week and I look forward to reading more about Irish writers and know doubt I will be At It Again and singing their praise when I have finished some more from the Romping Through series.

In Romping Through Dracula, they have replaced the titbits section with titbites and while titbits means both something tasty to eat as well as some juicy information, the fact that their cover art is of a woman with very generorus cleavage being bitten by a bat, I can´t help but read their titbites as tit-bites and in the words of Joyce himself, you can´t spell advertisements without semen between the tits, so pick up a copy of their book, just for the fun little titbits.

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