The all-day event is held June 16—the day Leopold Bloom made his way through Dublin in Joyce's novel. From noon to 7 p.m. on the steps of the Rosenbach, readers will recite and perform 75 passages from the book Ulysses. Listeners are encouraged to stroll by or take a seat in the street.

"I think those who listen to the book can enjoy it even more than those who read it," explains Dreher, "because that's how the linguistic fireworks that fill Ulysses really come to life. Something like 'blmstdp' doesn't make sense until someone turns it into 'Bloom stood up.'"

This year's presenters include novelist Curtis Sittenfeld (Man of My Dreams), local radio personality Marty Moss-Coane, and of course, Drucie McDaniel, whose interpretation of "Penelope" at the end of the day is always a highlight.

"There's a death theme this year," adds Janine Utell, Bloomsday coordinator. "We're putting the [museum's] Joyce death mask on display. It is one of the copies of the original made at the time of Joyce's death."

Utell, who teaches Joyce at Widener University, considers "Lestrygonians" one of her favorite passages from the novel, and an excerpt from this chapter in which Bloom is having lunch will be read by Fergie of Fergie's Pub fame.

It's especially appropriate, Utell says, because "on Thursday night, the night before [the reading], we're doing an hourlong Bloomsday crash course—Ulysses for Dummies—at Fergie's from 6 to 7 p.m., before kicking off the pub crawl." Perhaps because Ulysses goes well with Guinness.