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| JOYCE FAN BRINGING BLOOMSDAY
CELEBRATION TO ARIZONA If anyone is qualified to bring Bloomsday to Phoenix, it's Mary Aldridge. The Mesa Community College teacher has a doctorate in Irish studies, did a dissertation on Irish author James Joyce and poet W.B. Yeats, developed a course on modern Irish literature and conducts MCC's Study Abroad in Ireland program. Above all, she is a Joyce fan who has read Ulysses four times, an accomplishment only a few can boast. The Joyce book, with its strange techniques and allusions, is a difficult read. It's an epic story about Leopold Bloom's journey during a day in Dublin. Bloomsday is celebrated on June 16 by Joyce fans worldwide, as they bring the fictional account of Bloom; his wife, Molly; Stephen Dedalus; and "all the great talkers of Dublin" to life. It features people in Edwardian-period clothing giving readings from the book. Apart from Dublin, Bloomsdays are celebrated in some North American cities, including San Francisco, San Diego, Boston, Toronto and Buffalo, N.Y. Now, Aldridge wants to add Phoenix, with a Bloomsday at the Irish Cultural Center. "He had a great sense of humor and a great imagination. I admire his abilities," said Aldridge, who has studied and taught Joyce for 10 years. A Bloomsday in the Valley of the Sun, however, is not without its problems. How feasible is it for people to dress up in Edwardian costumes in midsummer triple-digit heat? "Phoenix is also not a pedestrian-friendly city, and the spaces between landmarks are much greater," said Aldridge, alluding to Bloom's walk through Dublin, when he made stops at various places. "It's a challenge to mimic what they do in Dublin," said Aldridge, who, with her students, attended Bloomsday in Dublin last year. Instead, Aldridge said, the first local Bloomsday will be centered on identifying the local Joyce community. "We're going to make people aware that we are doing it," she said. "We are also not going to trace the steps of this man this year." The local Bloomsday celebration will feature readings of Ulysses by Arizona Readers Theatre; a costume contest; a traditional Joycean meal featuring Gorgonzola sandwiches and a glass of Burgundy; a screening of the film Bloom; and an auction of items, including lemon soap, which factors into the story. "Mary's enthusiasm is really inspiring," said Kathy Wood, who volunteers for the Irish Cultural Center and is an event organizer.
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