Happy Bloomsday! A 29-hour broadcast of James Joyce's Ulysses is airing for the first time since 1982

Photo: WPA Pool
Today is Bloomsday, an annual celebration of James Joyce’s Ulysses that doubles as a sort of literary free-for-all, with some aesthetes boozing in costume as others attempt the herculean task of unpacking the tale of Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus’ twisty trip through Dublin for rapt audiences. Stephen Colbert and a number of other celebrities are currently holding a virtual celebration of the novel, while, over on RTÉ Radio 1 Extra, a rare 1982 recording of the entire book is being aired in its entirety for only the second time ever.