James Joyce and the latest ROW80 Update

n 1 January, the published works of James Joyce came into the public domain. Apparently his grandson and only living relative, Stephen Joyce, used to keep a tight rein on all Joyce's works, but now that his published novels and stories are in the public domain, they can be (among other uses) freely quoted from.

If anyone knows, please tell me - can't executors of a literary estate keep 'buying' the copyright? That is, if Stephen Joyce was oh so controlling over his grandfather's estate, could he not have kept renewing the copyright?

I first read A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man in my early teens. I had a sweatshirt that featured Joyce and jokingly referred to Beckett going out in the middle of the night to get pizzas. Or something like that. Tried to Google it, but can't find the exact text, so here're Joyce and Sylvia Beach at Shakespeare & Company in Paris:

(image from Princeton Magazine)

Here's the lyrical opening to Portrait:

"Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming
down along the road and this moocow that was coming down along the road
met a nicens little boy named baby tuckoo...

His father told him that story: his father looked at him through a
glass: he had a hairy face.

He was baby tuckoo. The moocow came down the road where Betty Byrne
lived: she sold lemon platt.

O, the wild rose blossoms
On the little green place.

He sang that song. That was his song.

O, the green wothe botheth."

Development on the Round of Words in 80 Days front is rather slow. I have about 15 missing scenes still to write but these, when I originally left them blank, covered more than one actual scene. So my notes say things like:

"add more between the ball and the expedition - there has to be a reason Ayten starts becoming attracted to Prince Cem..."

and

"does she rescue him at the end or do they work together?"

Not very helpful. I think, like it or not, I'm going to have to return to my waking-at-5am-to-write regimen. At least I get a latte when I do!