Re-Joyce! Bloomsday is here

By Meredith Deliso

Grab your massive copy of “Ulysses” — June 16 is upon us.

Fans will know the date for its significance in the James Joyce masterpiece, as the book follows that day’s events in the life of Leopold Bloom. And for more than 50 years, they’ve used that date to celebrate the book and the man with readings in Dublin and aboard.

For parties stateside, look no further than the Brooklyn Lyceum in Park Slope, which is hosing its own Bloomsday celebration tonight. Hosted by Joycean scholar Emmet Mc Gowan, the evening will feature a recitation of excerpts from the 265,000-word novel, as well as food and, of course, drink.

 In a bit of cheeky irony, the evening is dedicated to the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice, which in 1920 objected to the book’s “lewd” content (a masturbation scene) and took action to keep it out of the United States. The group, thankfully, failed.

Bloomsday at the Brooklyn Lyceum [227 Fourth Ave. at President Street in Park Slope, (718) 857-4816], June 16 at 8 pm. Free. For info, visit www.brooklynlyceum.com.