Blooms & Barnacles Podcast
banner
bloomsandbarnacles.bsky.social
Blooms & Barnacles Podcast
@bloomsandbarnacles.bsky.social
The internet's foremost expert on James Joyce and Nicolas Cage. Now in podcast form!

https://linktr.ee/bloomsandbarnacles
Dark Mode
October 31, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Happy Halloween!
October 31, 2025 at 12:01 PM
I'm beginning my research phase for "Sirens" and I'm not sure what to cover in this episode. I'm considering covering it in a single episode and then moving onto "Cyclops," which I have A LOT to talk about. What would you want me to cover from "Sirens?"

Leave your thoughts in the comments!
October 16, 2025 at 2:40 PM
This month on Patreon, we're discussing Djuna Barnes' classic novel about 1920's Paris and lesbian longing, Nightwood

#booksky

Listen or watch the video at patreon.com/barnaclecast
September 30, 2025 at 2:03 PM
@moderation.bsky.app has suppressed my Sweets of Sin post!

To read the blog post that's too hot for Bluesky, please visit bloomsandbarnacles.com

It's what James Joyce would want you to do

#booksky
September 19, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Modernism Lab is a good site in general. They mention Ned Lambert only in the most generic terms. Not useful.

Lit Charts is very basic. Not useful

Michael Groden's site is a good source. The link provided by GPT links to a page about Dubliners. Not useful.
August 8, 2025 at 12:19 PM
The European Joyce Studies volume does contain several articles that discuss Ned Lambert.

I've actually read the Margot Norris article, it's very good but contains no information on my topic.

The third book is real. I can't find a searchable copy online, but I don't think it covers my topic
August 8, 2025 at 12:19 PM
First up, both real. I have both these books sitting next to me now (though my Ulysses is the 1990 edition, not the 1922 edition). Suggesting to read Ulysses to get background info on Ulysses is not useful, but it's not hallucinated at least
August 8, 2025 at 12:19 PM
It does offer this at the bottom, so I requested a bibliography and I'll share those results as well
August 8, 2025 at 12:19 PM
It also suggests the concept of journals and articles. I mean, no shit. Which ones? Again, when GPT 4 suggested journal articles to me, they were comically hallucinated, so I think they've rejiggered it to be a generic as possible to avoid this issue. However, this is useless information
August 8, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Most of the suggestions are too basic or too generic for my uses. Remember, Sam Altman said this is like having a PhD in your pocket. I truly believe the most specific it gets is just the concept of essay collections because it hallucinates when it suggests specific volumes
August 8, 2025 at 12:19 PM
1. It doesn't offer any sources, really. The first book it recommends is Ulysses. In fact, two of these four recommendations are just different editions of Ulysses. I mean... it's not... wrong, but it's not useful at all.
August 8, 2025 at 12:19 PM
I've figured out what those mangled maps of Ireland from chat gpt remind me of. I bought this bootleg copy of Brave New World when I was living in SE Asia because I really enjoyed the typo on the cover.
August 8, 2025 at 11:01 AM
I also made this one first, but I botched the prompt.
I'll plan my next summer holiday to Londenderpy.
August 8, 2025 at 8:51 AM
This is the map we used in our Bloomsday presentation back in June 2025 (originally posted by @dmarshall.bsky.social )
August 8, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Inspired by @edzitron.com

I generated a map of Ireland just now to see if it improved on the map we used in the our video. It's somehow worse with GPT 5

Anyway, I live in Canav now. Where do you live?

#speirgorm
August 8, 2025 at 8:41 AM
We're so proud of our video about Ulysses and AI that we're pulling it out from behind the paywall for your perusal.

Could an AI write Ulysses?

Watch now at:
youtu.be/lHVdjVLpLx0

#booksky
August 7, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Is Ireland the only country where you get chips and has brown with your breakfast?
June 20, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Purple and pink comfrey
April 27, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Bumblebee in last year's kale
April 27, 2025 at 11:08 AM
April 15, 2025 at 12:28 PM
I'm impressed how much mileage Dermot has gotten out of this image:
April 15, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Primroses in the garden this morning #wildflowers
April 7, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Our March Patreon bonus episode is live! We're talking about Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. Learn about the "science" behind the story and why someone drew this hideous cartoon of Oscar. patreon.com/barnaclecast
March 31, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Happy Equinox from Loughcrew
March 20, 2025 at 9:39 AM