A Discussion led by Randall Sharp, PhD

Email info@kibbitznest.org to reserve your spot

Please join us for our final Discussion for the Spring term

Countdown to Bloomsday: Finally Reading Ulysses

led by,

Kendall Sharp, PhD

Instructor, Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults

Lecturer, Master of Liberal Arts Program

The University of Chicago

Join us four days before Bloomsday 2025 for a pint and a discussion about finally reading James Joyce’s masterpiece, Ulysses. It’s challenging to read at first, and the challenge has undone many ambitious readers. Basic Program Instructor Kendall Sharp will discuss the process not so much of reading Ulysses as the process of becoming a Ulysses reader. With encouragement both practical as well as moral (you can do it!), Kendall will soothe your fears and demonstrate how to live the motto, “Familiarity precedes understanding.” Sample passages will be analyzed and discussed interactively with the audience.

Audience members are encouraged to bring passages from Ulysses that have given them fits. Enjoyment of Bloomsday (June 16) can be yours this year!

 Kendall Sharp, PhD, teaches for the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults at The University of Chicago Graham School of Continuing Studies. From 2020-2024, he served two terms as the Cyril O. Houle Chair of the program. He earned his doctorate from the Committee on Social Thought at The University of Chicago, and then was Assistant Professor of Classical Studies at the University of Western Ontario before returning to Chicago. A native of Arkansas, he has also taught at DePaul University and the University of Illinois at Chicago. 

Email info@kibbitznest.org to reserve your spot