Introduction to the twelfth issue

The twelfth issue of the James Joyce Online Notes contains a mix of articles on people, places, phrases, and customs from Joyce’s Dublin. The origin of that nickname for the Freeman’s Journal, “an Old Woman in Prince’s street”, is investigated (the Freeman’s didn’t publish from Prince’s Street until 2 May 1826). On a similar topographical line, Harald Beck researches George Moore’s reference to London as “the Brixton Empire” (1901 - William Archer: “British Empire, you mean”; George Moore: “I call it the Brixton Empire”), which Joyce alludes to in “Aeolus”.

Did King Edward VII have a penchant for jujubes (fruit pastilles)? Joyce calls him the “jujube-sucking King” in “Lestrygonians”. It turns out that the King did indeed spend some of his leisure hours sucking bulls’ eyes and jujubes.

Attention is naturally focused on No 7 Eccles Street, but what was happening at No 8, next-door. “Woods his name is”, as Joyce tells us. “Stopping by Woods next-door” looks at the life of Patrick Woods and his wife Rosanna, with information provided by their great-grandson Paul Duffy as well as Dublin archive sources. Their tale is one that Joyce will not have known in full, starting promisingly – as the newly published photograph of the couple indicates – before family problems open up a path of decline.

“No followers allowed” traces the genesis of this stock expression from newspaper small ads from the 18^th century, and other articles cover the “rich” of the bacon and a “kish” of brogues (ignorant as a ..).

There are further regular updates to the pronunciation and mapping page “Joyce’s Pronunciations” and “Coming and Goings: Joyce and the OED”.

Harald Beck

John Simpson

Editors, JJON