Sir, – Muiris Houston’s article (Home News, December 16th) refers to recent interest in James Joyce’s purported myopia as noted by Joyce’s biographer Richard Ellmann.
On reading the biography in 1985, I wrote to Prof Ellmannn pointing out that the evidence of extant photographs, and of James Stephens's description as cited in The Irish Timesarticle, clearly suggests that Joyce was hypermetropic rather than myopic, and that this suggestion is reinforced by Lucia Joyce's marked convergent squint, a condition most commonly associated with significant hypermetropia and often familial in origin.
I quote from Prof Ellmann's reply, dated May 14th, 1985: "So nice to hear from an ophthalmologist from Co Cork! I feel rather flustered by your letter – you seem almost certainly right – I wish to God I had a pair of his glasses. Some of my other ophthalmic 'information' has been objected to, but this is the first time anyone has made the point you make. I suppose I must make the correction when I get a chance. It seems to me that the implication in A Portrait of the Artistis of nearsightedness, but on reflection I'm not at all sure. He can't read his book, Stephen, I mean, which would suggest hypermetropic. I'd be grateful if you'd look at my other references to J.J.'s operations and let me know what other defects you notice. Of course I'm very pleased that you liked my book and am most grateful for your correction [. . .]"
At the time of this correspondence, Richard Ellmann was already suffering from what was to be his final illness; he died in May 1987 without having altered the biography’s reference to Joyce’s myopia. – Yours, etc,