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Why launching a book in a pub instead of in a book shop?

On the 11th of June Here Comes Everybody’s Karma will be launched at the Hole in the Wall Pub nearby Phoenix Park in Dublin between 6 – 8pm.

In this post I want to clarify why this venue has been chosen.

On page 69 of Finnegans Wake we read:

“Now by memory inspired, turn wheel again to the whole of the wall. Where Gyant Blyant fronts Peannlueamoore There was once upon a wall and a hooghoog wall a was and such a wall- hole did exist.”, transcribed in HCEW p. 85 as: “Once, inspired by memory, turn the wheel again to witness the grandeur of the entire wall. Where Tyrant Blunt confronts Penn-lie-more, there once existed a majestic, towering wall, adorned with a magnificent wall hole.”

These fragments are referring to a very real pub in the vicinity of Phoenix Park, known as The Hole in the Wall (formerly known as Black Horse Tavern). The Hole in the Wall pub is located in the district of Ashtown just north of Phoenix Park, and the phrase “turn wheel again” refers to the turnstile (or turnpike) set in a hole in the adjacent Phoenix Park wall.

In Finnegans Wake, the door serves as a threshold between wakefulness and deep sleep, symbolizing a gateway. The book itself is likened to a door or gate, with Joyce’s sigla resembling a portal. The gate is guarded by two giant pencils, reminiscent of obelisks, which represent duality and harmony in Egyptian culture. This duality mirrors the themes of unity and opposites present in Finnegans Wake which this publication places into the context of Dharma and Karma, which are cyclical Asiatic philosophical principles.

The Lithuanian artist Benediktas Gylys gave recently this Joycean gate theme a modern interpretation by installing next to the writer’s statue in Dublin an audiovisual live-link that connects it to New York.

The portal is set to become a fixture of Dublin’s streetscape throughout the summer and runs until the autumn. In the coming months, there will be cultural performances at each city’s portal to be enjoyed by people in the other city via the livestream. From July, the Dublin portal will also connect to other global city destinations in Poland, Brazil and Lithuania.

Though it might, from a commercial point of view, not be the wisest decision to launch a book in a pub instead of in a book store, the choice of this location wants to illustrate how the novel is embedded in the local folklore and its surrounding area.

Release of the promotional video of Here Comes Everybody’s Karma

This presentation is about a publication that merges the most beautiful book in English literature, the Kelmscott-Chaucer, with its most enigmatic one, Finnegans Wake. The musical soundtrack of this video is provided by Tangerine Dream’s sensuous melodies with impressionistic textures that are an exploration of the literary soundtracks of Finnegans Wake by Edgar Froese & Co.

I’m releasing this video for those who would like to have a bird’s eye view of what this novel is about. Just click on the cover of the book.

An ARC has been made available on NetGalley for book sellers, curators, and reviewers that can be accessed by clicking on this link.

I’m delighted to announce that my publisher has decided to launch this retelling of Finnegan’s Wake in the fringes of the Bloomsday Festival in Dublin on 11 June 2024 between 6 and 8 pm, at the Hole in the Wall, a venue that features multiple times in the book. Those attending will be welcomed with a snack and a drink, and have the opportunity to purchase a copy of the book. Be aware that places for this event are limited to maximum 40 people and that local booksellers and press will get a preferential treatment. Only the first 20 inscriptions will get coupons for free drink and snack. Casual walk-ins are welcome too, but may have to cover for their consumptions by themselves. Maximum attendance is limited to 40 and inscriptions can be made on this facebook event.

Here Comes Everybody’ Karma (chapter 1.3)

I had this ambitious plan to make a post of all the illustrations of this book together with an excerpt, but came to the realization that I won’t make before the launch date. Instead I’ve decided to release the first pages of the following chapters as excerpts. I don’t have to worry about spoilers since the plot of Finnegans Wake is widely known (as far as you can speak of one, since its more a stream-of-conscious text about some observations about human nature and the cyclicity of time).

Here Comes Everybody’s Karma (19)

Our dear lady’s ordeal (nee Bareniece Maxwelton) with a keen sense for household matters (as the story goes) continued as usual with domestic chores. But, seizing the key in her hand, she broached the subject among a hundred and eleven others with her customary grace. “No peaches and melons for thee, Pomeranian!” she said, tucking the key into her grasp while quickly moving on to discuss the matter among a hundred and eleven others in her typical manner (how delicate these first whispers are, a secret murmuring, amidst the noisy den of their companions!).

Finnegans Wake

Our cad’s bit of strife (knee Bareniece Maxwelton) with a quick ear for spittoons (as the aftertale hath it) glaned up as usual with dumbestic husbandry (no persicks and armelians for thee, Pomeranzia!) but, slipping the clav in her claw, broke of the matter among a hundred and eleven others in her usual curtsey (how faint these first vhespers womanly are, a secret pispigliando, amad the lavurdy den of their manfolker!)

Here Comes Everybody’s Karma (18)

When the ever-faithful friend to all creatures, tigerwood roadstaff by his side, was moving gracefully across the vast expanse of our grandest park in his rubber cap and substantial belt and leather bags, he encountered a fellow with a pipe. The latter, the mischief maker, not the innocent one (who, chances are, is still wandering around in the same straw barn, carrying his overcoat over his shoulder, inside out, to appear more like a country gentleman and abstaining from alcohol as confidently as you please) boldly approached him with: “Guinness thaw tool in jew me dinner ouzel fin?” (a peculiar greeting in Dublin slang that some of our elders may still remember vividly) to inquire if he knew the time the clock struck, as his own watch was unreliable. Hesitation was clearly to be avoided. Profanity was to be skillfully sidestepped.

Finnegans Wake

… when the tried friend of all creation, tigerwood roadstaff to his stay, was billowing across the wide expanse of our greatest park in his caoutchouc kepi and great belt and hideinsacks and his blaufunx fustian and ironsides jackboots and Bhagafat gaiters and his rubberised inverness, he met a cad with a pipe. The latter, the luciferant not the oriuolate (who, the odds are, is still berting dagabout in the same straw bamer, carryin his overgoat under his schulder, sheepside out, so as to look more like a coumfry gentleman and signing the pledge as gaily as you please) hardily accosted him with: Guinness thaw tool in jew me dinner ouzel fin? (a nice how-do-you-do in Pool- black at the time as some of our olddaisers may still tremblingly recall) to ask could he tell him how much a clock it was that the clock struck had he any idea by cock’s luck as his watch was bradys. Hesitency was clearly to be evitated. Execration as cleverly to be honnisoid.

Here Comes Everybody’s Karma (17)

The scene was as follows: observe the lamps.

The lineup was like this: look under the clock. Women gather: cloaks can be left. The pit, standing room, and parterre are full.

Regular attendees are noticeably present. A more degrading interpretation has been imposed on these characters, the literal meaning of which decency can scarcely hint at.

It has been shamefully spread by certain jesters (the foul odors of gloom linger in the morning’s schemes), that he suffered from a loathsome illness. Dismiss these lies! The only response worthy of self-respect is to declare that there are certain statements which should not, and one would hope to be able to add, should not be allowed to be made.

Finnegans Wake

The piece was this: look at the lamps.
The cast was thus: see under the clock. Ladies circle: cloaks may be left. Pit, prommer and parterre, standing room only. Habituels conspicuously emergent.
A baser meaning has been read into these characters the literal sense of which decency can safely scarcely hint. It has been blur- tingly bruited by certain wisecrackers (the stinks of Mohorat are in the nightplots of the morning), that he suffered from a vile disease. Athma, unmanner them!

ARC giveaway

Here Comes Everybody’s Karma

Here Comes Everybody’s Karma (16)

His Majesty, who had long been believed to have poor eyesight from a young age, had finally mustered the curiosity to ask what had caused the causeway to become so potholed. Inquiring whether paternoster and silver doctors were no longer popular bait for lobster trapping, the straightforward Harold fearlessly responded, “No, your majesty, I was simply capturing those pesky earwigs.”
Our sailor king, who was drinking from a jug of obvious cider, graciously responded by smiling beneath his large moustache and displaying the somewhat mischievous humor that William the Conch inherited, together with the congenial short-fingeredness, from his great-aunt Sophy.
He turned towards two of his retinue of gallowglasses, Michael, the noble lord of Leix and Offaly, and the ceremonial mayor of Drogheda, Elcock, (the two associates being Michael M. Manning, leader of Waterford, and an Italian excellency named Galilei according to a later version cited by the learned scholar Canavan of Canmakenoise), in either case a religious family symbolizing purity of doctrine, usual business, and the patch of land where the Irish treasures grow, and remarked jokingly:
“Holybones of Saint Hubert, how our red brother of Burgundy would fume did he know that he has for trusty vassal a turnpiker who is also an earwicker..” And he walked with Jom Pill through the gray court and into the house.

Finnegans Wake

On his majesty, who was, or often feigned to be, noticeably longsighted from green youth and had been meaning to inquire what, in effect, had caused yon causeway to be thus potholed, asking substitutionally to be put wise as to whether paternoster and silver doctors were not now more fancied bait for lobstertrapping honest blunt Harom- phreyld answered in no uncertain tones very similarly with a fear- less forehead: Naw, yer maggers, aw war jist a cotchin on thon bluggy earwuggers. Our sailor king, who was draining a gugglet of obvious adamale, gift both and gorban, upon this, ceasing to swallow, smiled most heartily beneath his walrus moustaches and indulging that none too genial humour which William the Conk on the spindle side had inherited with the hereditary whitelock and some shortfingeredness from his greataunt Sophy, turned to- wards two of his retinue of gallowglasses, Michael, etheling lord of Leix and Offaly and the jubilee mayor of Drogheda, Elcock, (the two scatterguns being Michael M. Manning, protosyndic of Waterford and an Italian excellency named Giubilei according to a later version cited by the learned scholarch Canavan of Can- makenoise), in either case a triptychal religious family symbolising puritas of doctrina, business per usuals and the purchypatch of hamlock where the paddish preties grow and remarked dilsydulsily: Holybones of Saint Hubert how our red brother of Pour- ingrainia would audibly fume did he know that we have for sur- trusty bailiwick a turnpiker who is by turns a pikebailer no sel- domer than an earwigger For he kinned Jom Pill with his court
so gray and his haunts in his house in the mourning.

Here Comes Everybody’s Karma (15)

In the embrace of another tide, the magnificent twin-turbine sailing vessel, The Bey, graces this archipelago as its inaugural visiting schooner. Adorning her prow as a figurehead is a resplendent waxen enchantress in the likeness of the Wicklow pattern, while the illustrious specter of the Dead Sea dugong emerges, upwelling from the depths, ceaselessly performing like a whimsical fish charmer for the past sixty-three years. He stands stalwart with his beloved by his side, weathered and wise under his turban, transmuting cane sugar into exquisite cellulose starch. Despite his expansion when intoxicated, our esteemed rogue remains humbly devoted to his communal and enthralling nature, as evidenced by the titles bestowed upon him across diverse tongues. Ultimately, it is he, in all his earnest sobriety, who shall bear sole responsibility for the tumultuous stir he leaves in his wake.

Finnegans Wake

came at this timecoloured place where we live in our paroqial fermament one tide on another, with a bumrush in a hull of a wherry, the twin turbane dhow, The Bey for Dybbling, this archipelago’s first visiting schooner, with a wicklowpattern waxenwench at her prow for a figurehead, the deadsea dugong updipdripping from his depths, and has been repreaching himself like a fishmummer these siktyten years ever since, his shebi by his shide, adi and aid, growing hoarish under his turban and changing cane sugar into sethulose starch (Tuttut’s cess to him!) as also that, batin the bulkihood he bloats about when innebbiated, our old offender was humile, commune and ensectuous from his nature, which you may gauge after the bynames was put under him, in lashons of languages, (honnein suit and praisers be!) and, totalisating him, even hamissim of himashim that he, sober serious, he is ee and no counter he who will be ultimendly respunchable for the hubbub caused in Edenborough.