AN EXPERT on the works of James Joyce said to have cracked the literary code to Finnegans Wake has told the High Court he was “frozen out” by the James Joyce community after his name was not included in a publication concerning notebooks kept by the famous author.
Danis Rose, who is suing over alleged breach of copyright in that publication, said he was “bad boyed” and seen as the “the carper and the complainer”. Mr Rose, Strawberry Beds, Dublin, has brought the proceedings against Belgian book publishers Brepols; literary scholar Vincent Deane, of Anna Villa, Ranelagh, and Joyce expert and professor Geert Lernout of the University of Antwerp.
He alleges breach of copyright in relation to his commentary on the notebooks in connection with Finnegans Wake.
The copyright dispute arises from a commentary published in four volumes entitled James Joyce, the Finnegans Wake Notebooks at Buffalo in 2001.
The case concerns Mr Rose’s analysis of notebooks kept by Joyce. That scrutiny was begun in the 1970s and involved a lifetime’s work, the court was told.
Ms Justice Mary Laffoy was told Joyce kept notebooks, about 50 of which are extant and are in the University of New York, Buffalo.
Joyce would regularly enter words or groups of words as well as unusual and foreign language words in those notebooks.
In the 1970s, Mr Rose claims he discovered a rationale or logic for all the notebook entries and how they are connected with Finnegans Wake.
Mr Rose claims he gave copies of his commentary to Mr Deane for the purpose of eventual publication and he was to be one of the editors of the publication concerning the notebooks, with full attribution.
The claims are denied by the defendants.
In continuing evidence, Mr Rose said, as a direct consequence of being left out of the project, his government-funded grant was cut.
The title page of the works published in 2001 included 14 names and the absence of his name was “devastating”, he said.
The consequence of his not being included as an editor meant he was frozen out by the Joycean community. Moreover, he was not asked to contribute to other books or attend symposiums in his field.
“I was absolutely isolated, ” he said, adding that he found it difficult to continue his career as a Joyce scholar. “It wiped me out.”
The case continues today.