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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Parasaurolophus on June 11, 2022, 05:25:54 PM

Title: Joyce's Weird Beliefs About Radio Waves
Post by: Parasaurolophus on June 11, 2022, 05:25:54 PM
Some time ago, I read a thing that claimed that James Joyce believed that radio use could influence the weather (specifically, in France). The claim was attributed to Sylvia Beach in her Shakespeare and Company: The story of an American bookshop in Paris (1959).

Now, I've been unable to get my hands on a 1959 copy to corroborate the claim. What I do have is a copy from 1982--in German. I've pored over it, but without luck. Maybe it's just the quality of my German, which is admittedly underwhelming.

I thought I'd ask here, though: does this claim ring a bell for anyone? I'd like to use this as a throwaway example in an article, so although its veracity doesn't really matter, I'd prefer if it was at least a real allegation.
Title: Re: Joyce's Weird Beliefs About Radio Waves
Post by: traductio on June 12, 2022, 06:51:35 AM
Is this the book you're looking for: https://archive.org/details/shakespearecompa00beac/ ?
Title: Re: Joyce's Weird Beliefs About Radio Waves
Post by: Wahoo Redux on June 12, 2022, 09:46:01 AM
Out of curiosity I did JStore, Ebscohost, and Gale searches for "james joyce radio waves" in a couple of combinations.  I found out that James Joyce did indeed listen to the radio on occasion based upon one memoir, otherwise: Nada.

Seems that something so sensational would be commented on by somebody, and I would suspect it is apocryphal Internet blather. 

But who knows?

I might dismiss the anecdote.