Inspiring Story: Jesse Meyers’ Literary Passion

For some 20 years, Jesse Meyers (90) has taught classes on James Joyce and his novel, Ulysses. Some 1,000 students later, Jesse has raised over $300,000 for charities through his classes and donated over 700 volumes on James Joyce to Fordham University.

Jesse recently moved into The Apsley, an assisted living facility on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, but the change hasn’t slowed him down. We spoke with this military veteran and former publisher of Beverage Digest (an award-winning business newsletter which broke the story about Coca-Cola’s formula change in 1985) about leading a Ulysses reading group of his fellow assisted living residents and the benefits of literature.

Why James Joyce?

I retired at 59. My late wife took me by my ear to a Joyce lecture, insisting I needed a hobby. I was immediately smitten and overwhelmed by Joyce’s offerings. I took classes anywhere and everywhere and then began to lecture and soon developed my own teaching style: simplify and amplify strictly in street language.

Ulysses proves to be of interest to readers who like word games or crossword puzzles, or clever song lyrics. The book– set in Dublin – is appealing to those with Irish family backgrounds. And as it touches on so many subjects – the Catholic Church, colonialism, history, anti-semitism, Shakespeare’s works, music, interpersonal relationships – it appeals to diverse attendee interests.

And then there is Joyce’s writing style. He is regarded as the popularizer of what is called Literary Modernism. A term explained by two directions: “Inner” and “Under.” The former as Joyce not only creates interesting dialogue but also gives readers unique access to the private minds of characters. You not only see their words, but you get to know what they are thinking as they speak these words. And then “Under” in that the book explores actions under the waistline, which encompasses everything from digestion to sexual activities.

What are the benefits of doing a close reading of a complicated text, like Ulysses?

The attentive reader ends up knowing more about life. There are 18 episodes in the book, each written in a different voice. Most books today tell their tales in various voice forms of first and third person. Joyce uniquely creates 18 distinct and differing perspectives. Also, you may have  heard book descriptions stating: “It’s not the journey, it’s the  arrival.” In this case, it’s unquestionably both the journey and the arrival.

What advice do you have for starting a reading group like this? 

Keep it simple. I offer two slightly and minorly unique awards. One, if the participant finishes the class – often in 12-14 sessions – they get a diploma signed by James Joyce (despite his death in the early 1941).

Two, at one point in Ulysses a character goes into a restaurant and orders a comparatively simple meal. My classes recreate the meal at the final diploma-awarding session.

What do you think is the importance of literature in our lives?

Literature educates us, amuses us, startles us and often inspires us. Without these moments, why live?

A brief comment on the availability of literature these days. Your cell phone is a gateway to massive amounts of free literature. There’s a free website called Project Gutenberg. It’s a website offering thousands of books free of charge. There’s even a free copy of Ulysses, but it contains, no joke, thousands of errors. A new edition available on the web – without the errors – is called The Gabler Ulysses. It’s the version used by most educators.

What does aging with attitude mean to you?

When you age, hopefully, you become wiser. And often that means the next book, if you want to read a book, is called Ulysses.

To get more literature in your life, join Senior Planet’s virtual Book Club!

Photo Credit: The Apsley