Litigious Joyce

James’ Joyce grandson and only living descendant, Stephen Joyce, is known in literary circles for his taste for litigation.

Few are spared. He has targeted publishing houses, internet readings, and an Edinburgh fringe musical using Molly Bloom’s soliloquy from Ulysses. An Irish composer who requested permission to quote 18 words of Finnegans Wake received a refusal letter saying: “To put it politely, my wife and I don’t like your music.”

But the man may have finally run into an adversary who’s not so easy to sue: the government.

fearful for this month’s mammoth celebrations of Joyce’s masterpiece Ulysses, Irish MPs this week rushed through emergency legislation that will prevent Mr Joyce from suing the Government and the National Library over an exhibition which displays 500 pages of Joyce manuscripts bought for 12.6 million ($22million) in 2002.

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