A novel approach to literary tribute.

Byline: Neal J. Riley

WORCESTER - A waitress struggles to catch the orders of a group of elderly women out to lunch at Fiddler's Green, but Worcester County Poetry Association President Mark G. Wagner isn't about to stop reading aloud from "Ulysses" to his captivated audience.

That can only mean one thing: It's Bloomsday again in Worcester.

Bloomsday, which derives its name from "Ulysses" protagonist Leopold Bloom, is a worldwide celebration of James Joyce's 1922 novel about what happens to Bloom in Dublin, Ireland, on June 16, 1904.

The festivities began at 8 a.m. at Bancroft Tower and were scheduled to continue until 10 p.m. at Vasa Hall, home of the poetry association on Ekman Street.

During the day, participants stopped at seven Worcester locations to share Joyce's work with whomever would listen, only pausing to eat.

Despite the incredulous looks from those unfamiliar with Bloomsday, the ramblers believe in their cause.

To Wagner, the importance of Bloomsday lies in "embedding literature in the community."

Byron Menides, who has been attending Bloomsday festivities since Worcester started celebrating the event in 1994, has simpler reasoning.

"It's got to be read out loud, it's outrageous!" said the Worcester native.

The selected locations change from year to year, but organizers aim to find places that resemble the locations Bloom visits in Dublin.

In past years, the ramblers have even read at funeral homes and cemeteries to mark the death of a character.

Although the novel is set in Dublin, "it's a good way for people to understand the culture of the different venues in Worcester," said WCPA publicist Anne Marie Luccio.

About 25 "Ulysses" revelers were gathered at Fiddler's Green on Temple Street, a site intended to represent one of the pubs visited by Bloom. Many have been attending Bloomsday festivities for years, and there were a few newcomers.

According to Ms. Luccio, attendance is as high as ever, and the struggling economy is one reason why the free event still manages to attract first-timers to the celebration.

Janet Bessette never had the chance to celebrate Bloomsday in previous years, saying, "I had seen it advertised all the time, but could never get it off work."

The Hardwick resident worked for Allegro Microsystems in Worcester for 26 years, but is now unemployed. "I was a victim of Recession 2009," she said.

Anne Gables of Berlin found out about Bloomsday from a brochure while at an Irish music festival. She hasn't read the book, but yesterday's readings have turned her into a fan.

"The first chapter was so passionate," she said. "I didn't expect that from a novel that is so aged."

For those who are Bloomsday veterans, the enduring quality of Joyce's prose is what keeps them coming back year after year.

Carle Johnson, treasurer of the poetry association, is one of the few who have read all of the 732-page work, and he's done it twice.

"Joyce is a masterful writer who knows he's great," Mr. Johnson said. "In the middle of his poetry, he'll bring out a clunker and knock you out.

"He took the world around him and put it in a book."

ART: PHOTO

CUTLINE: Members of the public and Worcester County Poetry Association make a stop at the Bancroft Tower in Worcester yesterday.

PHOTOG: T&G Staff/TOM RETTIG