In October of 1909, James Joyce left his family in Trieste, Italy, for a two-month business trip in Dublin. He and his wife, Nora Barnacle, made a pact to write erotic letters to each other while he was away. Nora's letters have been lost, but James' were published in 1975, 34 years after his death.
We like these letters. They're not just sexual — they're also intimate. Joyce loved everything about his wife’s body, especially what comes out of it: farts, skid marks, poo, what have you. And as much as we think they’re fun to read, they’re infinitely more fun to listen to. We read one of James Joyce’s most erotically charged letters. Welcome to our book club.
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Photo: London, 4 July 1931. James and Nora finally marry in London. The gentleman on their right is their solicitor. Photograph by unknown Paparazzo.
From the Poetry/Rare Books Collection, University Libraries, State University of New York at Buffalo.