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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nLeopold Bloom is not typically a name associated will bulging muscles and enduring strength. But Bloom, like thousands of his generation (and ours), was captivated by the desire to sculpt and shape his physique. Inspired by Prussian strongman Eugen Sandow, the “father of modern bodybuilding,” Bloom measured his body, flexed his muscles, and, when he remembered, even lifted weights as per the Sandow system. Sandow and his system are a sporadic but telling theme in Ulysses<\/em>. Their inclusion speaks to Bloom\u2019s physical dissatisfaction and, as some have argued, professional envy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Join us in the James Joyce Centre on Bloomsday, June 16th at 1pm as Dr. Conor Heffernan (Ulster University) shreds — excuse us, sheds — some light on Sandow\u2019s system, Bloom\u2019s physical health, and the cultural significance of strength and fitness in Joyce\u2019s work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may want to bring your gym shorts. Unlike most lectures about James Joyce, this one is going to get physical. Not only will audience members be treated to a display of strength from a professional athlete, they will have the opportunity to measure their body against Bloom’s (or Sandow’s, depending on one\u2019s confidence) and indulge in those Sandow exercises Bloom so neglected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n