Meeting of the James Joyce Society October 23, 1951, 33-1/3 Recording of Excerpts of Finnegans Wake as Read by James Joyce and Joseph Campbell by Joyce, James and Joseph Campbell - 1951

New York: Folkways Records & Service Corp, 1951. Meeting of the James Joyce Society October 23, 1951, 33-1/3 Recording of Excerpts of Finnegans Wake as Read by James Joyce and Joseph Campbell

Record in original dark blue pebbled sleeve with blue pastedown label to front. Wear to edge of sleeve including 4-inch separation at top edge. Record has white label with black printing. No scratches visible. Light dust. No warping. Appears sound. Not played. Very Good Condition.

James Joyce only read for two recording projects; one recording from Ulysses and two separate recordings from the last few pages of the Anna Livia Plurabelle chapter of Finnegans Wake. Only the second of the two Anna Livia Plurabelle recordings were commercially pressed, the first was supposedly discarded because of technical imperfections. At least four pressings exist of Joyce's reading of Anna Livia Plurabelle, including a scarce few of the 'discarded' recording.

This issue was published by Folkways Records & Service Corp. in conjunction with the Gotham Book Mart, for the October 23, 1951 meeting of the James Joyce Society. The record contains comments by Padraic Colum, comments on and readings of excerpts from Finnegans Wake by Joseph Campbell, and a recording of the James Joyce reading the excerpt Anna Livia Plurabelle.

Slyvia Beach helped arrange for this recording was later quoted as saying, "how beautiful Joyce's rendering of an Irish washerwoman's brogue".

Plenty of these issues are in institutional holdings but we find none in commerce as of May 2024. A great opportunity to hear Joyce reading from his own work.