VI.A and B
VI.A and B: “Work in Progress”/Finnegans Wake notebooks
General Material Descriptions
Unlike some authors, Joyce rarely seemed to be overly concerned with the kind and quality of his writing material; most often his paper, pencil, pens, and crayons were very basic and simply utilitarian. Joyce generally bought inexpensive and poor quality writing material with little regard to how it would endure the strain of his prolonged use as he compiled and then used notes from his notebooks. The added strain of further decades of scholarly research has continued to take an obvious toll of many of these frail documents. Though Joyce sometimes went to the same stationer, he tended to buy different kinds of notebooks and then use whatever writing paper and implements were at hand.
Joyce’s extant “Work in Progress”/Finnegans Wake notebooks can nonetheless be grouped into several relatively distinct kinds. He initially relied on stenographer’s tablets and then top-perforated notebooks, but both these kinds of notebooks proved to be too fragile and awkward for the use to which they were put. Joyce then began to use other kinds of notebooks, eventually coming to rely primarily on more durable, vertically bound ledgers and notebooks.
The first type of notebook Joyce used, from December 1922 through March 1924, was a standard kind of stenographer’s tablet with horizontal spines (MSS VI.B.10, VI.B.3, VI.B.25, VI.B.2, VI.B.11, VI.B.6, and VI.B.1). He habitually used this type of notebook as though the two adjoining pages formed one long page, which he filled from top to bottom. That is, when the notebook was fully opened, Joyce would take notes beginning at the top edge of the verso of the leaf (what would be the even-numbered pages) toward the center spine and then he continued taking notes on the recto of the next leaf (the odd-numbered pages) from the center spine toward the bottom edge of these notebook pages.
Joyce was most likely prompted to stop using these flimsy, flip-top stenographer’s tablets because, while they were well suited for the columnar lists of notes he made, this type of inexpensive tablet, which was primarily designed for short-term use, may have proven to be too fragile and awkward as Joyce continued to use them as he wrote “Work in Progress”/Finnegans Wake.
Although MS VI.A (the so-called “Scribbledehobble” notebook) shares several similar features with some of Joyce’s other notebooks for Ulysses and Finnegans Wake and he first used this notebook together with the early stenographer’s tablets, it is unlike any other document in the Joyce archive both physically as well as in the various ways in which Joyce used it to compile notes. As far as we know, it is the largest and most unwieldy notebook he used and the only one he returned to over such an extended period of time (1923–1936) for so many different sections and chapters of “Work in Progress”/Finnegans Wake. This manuscript is also the only known example of a notebook that contains both recycled and sorted notes from other notebooks (“second-order” notes) as well as first-order notes drawn presumably from Joyce’s current reading, although many of the source texts still need to be determined. It has been at the center of much debate over the decades and will continue to be of interest to textual scholars and readers.
Joyce then began using top-perforated tablets intermittently from April to July 1924 (MSS VI.B.16 and VI.B.5) and then again from June to July 1925 (VI.B.9).1 This kind of notebook is bound at the top edge and constructed so that leaves can be torn from the tablet, though this was most likely not the principle reason why Joyce chose to use this type of notebook to take notes for his writing. Like the stenographer’s tablets that he had tried previously, this type of notebook was also not suited to the manner in which Joyce actually used them when writing and revising drafts over a prolonged period of time. As Joyce was reading and then as he used notes from the notebooks for his writing, this type of notebook proved to be difficult to keep lying flat. Joyce must have had to apply pressure or otherwise hold them in place to keep them open, thereby causing further damage to the notebooks.
The next type of notebook Joyce used, from August 1924 to April 1925 (MSS VI.B.14 and VI.B.7), was a much sturdier pocket-sized notebook, with laminated black imitation snakeskin covers. Joyce used this type of notebook sporadically again in 1933, 1935–1936, and then again in 1939 (VI.B.43, VI.B.40, and VI.B.48). Although similarly bound, these five notebooks vary considerably in size and number of pages. For example, the largest and longest (VI.B.40) measures 21.3 x 13.5 cm. and has 240 pages, while the smallest notebook (VI.B.43) measures 14.6 x 9.5 cm. and the shortest (VI.B.48) only has 96 pages.2
Joyce then started using another kind of notebook with colored paper covers over boards (MSS VI.B.19, VI.B.13, VI.B.20, VI.B.18, VI.B.22, VI.B.35, VI.B.34, VI.B.37, VI.B.44, VI.B.42, VI.B.47, and VI.B.30). Although the dimensions, number of pages, and kinds of paper of these notebooks vary considerably at times, they are all bound with variously colored paper over board covers (such as brown, tan, green, and turquoise) and cloth tape spines (that are usually red or black). The smallest notebook of this type is MS VI.B.30 (14.6 x 9.2 cm.) and the largest is VI.B.42 (20.5 x 13.2 cm.); the longest is VI.B.18 (with 286 pages) and the shortest is VI.B.47 (with just 100 pages). These notebooks are all generically similar in kind and Joyce used them periodically from early June 1925 to April 1926 (MSS VI.B.19, VI.B.13, and VI.B.20), from March to July 1927 (VI.B.18), from May to June 1928 (VI.B.22), throughout 1932 to the summer of 1933 (VI.B.35 and VI.B.34), then from September 1936 to early December 1937 (VI.B.37, VI.B.44, and VI.B.42), and finally again at the end of 1938 (VI.B.47 and VI.B.30).
Another type of notebook Joyce used was an even more substantial and better quality kind of diary or album, which is covered in variously colored imitation leather; they are MSS VI.B.23 (September to December 1928), VI.B.27 (May to July 1929), and VI.B.45 (February 1938).
Furthermore, from 1928 to 1936, Joyce also used accounting ledger books covered in black cloth over boards that are of various dimensions and numbers of page (as well as different colored horizontal and vertical lines). Although they are generically similar, they are all different as follows:
| Manuscript | Number of Pages | Pagination | Measurements | Dating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VI.B.21 | 300 pages | stamped | 20.7 x 13.4 cm. | January–April 1928 |
| VI.B.26 | 182 pages | not numbered | 24.9 x 9.3 cm. | July–September 1928 |
| VI.B.4 | 336 pages | not numbered | 21.2 x 13.2 cm. | January–late April 1929 |
| VI.B.24 | [300] pages | stamped | 20.9 x 13.2 cm. | August 1929–early February 1930 |
| VI.B.29 | 224 pages | not numbered | 20.4 x 12.9 cm. | February–mid March 1930 |
| VI.B.28 | 200 pages | stamped | 18.9 x 12.3 cm. | Late March–early April 1930 & January–February 1931 |
| VI.B.32 | 232 pages | not numbered | 20.9 x 13.2 cm. | May–October 1930 |
| VI.B.33 | 200 pages | stamped | 20.7 x 13.2 cm. | Late February–mid to late April 1931 |
| VI.B.31 | 272 pages | not numbered | 20.9 x 13.3 cm. | Late April–November 1931 |
| VI.B.36 | 328 pages | not numbered | 18.9 x 12.5 cm. | 1934 |
| VI.B.38 | 200 pages | stamped | 18.8 x 12.2 cm. | Spring–September 1936 |
| VI.B.41/VI.C.18 | 300 pages | stamped | 20.9 x 13.3 cm. | Late August–mid October 1938 |
There are five more manuscripts that are unlike any other “Work in Progress”/Finnegans Wake notebooks. MS VI.B.8 is a simple, relatively small (16.8 x 10.6 cm.) notebook, with black cloth over boards and has 240 pages, which Joyce used from late July to September 1925. MS VI.B.12 is also an accounting ledger but it has colored paper covers over boards similar to another type of notebook; it is a relatively large (21.4 x 13.7 cm.) notebook that Joyce used from June to August 1926. MS VI.B.15 is a small pocket-sized (19.1 x 12.5 cm.) notebook, with light gray pliable cloth covers and 224 pages, which Joyce used from late September 1926 to late January 1927. Then there is MS VI.B.39, a miniscule vertical metal spiral pocket notebook (10.5 x 6.6 cm. and only 54 extant pages), bound in blue light board covers, which is unlike any other known Joyce manuscript: Joyce used it in the summer of 1936 in Denmark. Finally, there is MS VI.B.46, which is the most ornate of the “Work in Progress”/Finnegans Wake notebooks. It, too, is a diary or album that is covered in brown leather embossed with a rectangular floral design and its edges are stitched with leather. The notebook now consists of 142 pages of heavy, unlined paper, with green watered silk paper pasted onto covers and flyleaves. Joyce used this notebook in early December 1937 to February 1938. (In its current state, it is not possible to determine what type of notebook MS VI.B.17 may have been.)
General Dating of the Notebooks
The following table sets out a chronological listing of the notebooks (for further information about the dating of the notebooks, see TD 3–37 and FWNB: VI.B.1, B.3, B.5, B.6, B.10, B.14, B.16, B.25, B.29, B.32, B.33, and B.47):
| Primary Notebook According to Spielberg’s Numbering |
Date of Compilation | JJA |
|---|---|---|
| VI.B.10 | December 1922–February 1923 | 31.079–139 |
| VI.B.3 | March–July 1923 | 29.180–262 |
| VI.A, handwriting “A” | Probably July 1923 | 28.001–286 |
| VI.B.25 | July–August 1923 | 35.002–025 |
| VI.B.2 | Late August–late September 1923 | 29.093–179 |
| VI.B.11 | Late September–late November 1923 | 31.140–225 |
| VI.B.6 | End of December 1923–mid to late February 1924 | 30.085–169 |
| VI.B.1 | Mid February–March 1924 | |
| VI.B.16 | Early to mid March–early/mid May 1924 | 32.357–431 |
| VI.B.5 | Mid May–late July 1924 | 30.001–084 |
| VI.B.14 | End of July–November 1924 | 32.121–239 |
| VI.D.3: Missing Notebook (See VI.C.4, pp. [220]–[280] and VI.C.5, pp. [001]–[091]) |
Early December 1924–February 1925 | (See 41.279–294 and 41.299–321) |
| VI.B.7 | March–mid April 1925 | 30.170–292 |
| VI.D.2: Missing Notebook (See VI.C.3, pp. [176]–[242] & VI.C.15, pp. [177]–[252]) |
Mid April–May 1925 | (See 41.194–211 & 42.409–427) |
| VI.D.1: Missing Notebook (See VI.C.2, pp. [123]–[197]) |
May–June 1925 | (See 41.107–126) |
| VI.B.9 | June–early July 1925 | 31.001–078 |
| VI.B.8 | Late July–September 1925 | 30.293–415 |
| VI.B.19 | June–early July and September–late November 1925 | 33.207–323 |
| VI.A, handwriting “B” | Probably Fall 1925 | 28.001–286 |
| VI.B.13 | December 1925–early March 1926 | 32.001–119 |
| VI.B.20 | March–April 1926 | 33.325–383 |
| VI.B.17 & NLI 36,639/19 | April–May 1926 | 33.002–056 |
| VI.B.12 | June–August 1926 | 31.226–322 |
| VI.D.5: Missing Notebook (See VI.C.8, p. [217]–back flyleaf verso & VI.C.9, pp. [001]–[019]) |
August–September 1926 | (See 42.129–144 and 42.147–151) |
| VI.B.15 | Late September 1926–late January 1927 | 32.241–355 |
| VI.B.18 | March–July 1927 | 33.059–204 |
| VI.D.6: Missing Notebook (See VI.C.11, pp. [096]– [217]) |
Fall–Winter 1927 | (See 43.310–341) |
| VI.B.21 | January–April 1928 | 34.001–153 |
| VI.B.22 | May–late June 1928 | 34.155–251 |
| VI.B.26 | July–September 1928 | 35.027–105 |
| VI.B.23 | September–December 1928 | 34.253–331 |
| VI.B.4 | January–late April 1929 | 29.263–429 |
| VI.B.27 | May–July 1929 | 35.107–185 |
| VI.B.24 | August 1929–early February 1930 | 34.333–484 |
| VI.B.29 | Early February–mid March 1930 | 36.001–115 |
| VI.B.28 | Late March–early April 1930 and January–February 1931 | 35.187–288 |
| VI.B.32 | May–October 1930 | 36.313–431 |
| VI.B.33 | Mid/late February–mid/late April 1931 | 37.002–104 |
| VI.A, handwriting “D” | Early March and October–November 1931 | 28.001–180 |
| VI.B.31 | Late April–November 1931 | 36.173–311 |
| VI.B.35 | 1932 | 37.204–279 |
| VI.B.34 | January–Summer 1933 | 37.106–202 |
| VI.B.43 | Probably mid–late 1933 | 39.207–277 |
| VI.B.36 | 1934 | 37.281–444 |
| VI.B.40 | February 1935–early 1936 | 38.236–353 |
| VI.B.38 | Spring–September 1936 | 38.123–225 |
| VI.B.39 | Summer 1936 | 38.227–234 |
| VI.B.37 | September–December 1936 | 38.001–121 |
| VI.B.44 | Spring–late August 1937 | 39.279–376 |
| VI.B.42 | Late August–early December 1937 | 39.109–204 |
| VI.B.46 | Early December 1937–February 1938 | 40.113–238 |
| VI.B.45 | January–February 1938 | 40.001–110 |
| VI.B.41 | Late August–mid October 1938 | 39.001–107 |
| VI.B.47 | Early October–December 1938 | 40.241–291 |
| VI.B.30 | Late November–late December 1938 | 36.117–171 |
| VI.B.48 | Summer–Fall 1939 | 40.293–323 |
In his The Textual Diaries of James Joyce, Danis Rose has proposed that Joyce compiled at least five further notebooks for which no scribal copies survive (see TD 3–37):
| Possible Further Notebooks | Dates of Compilation |
|---|---|
| Rose “X.1” | Late January–early March 1923 |
| Rose “X.2” | December 1923 |
| Rose “X.3” | Summer 1927 |
| Rose “X.4” | November–December 1930 |
| Rose “X.5” | March–August 1938 |
General Publication Information
The notebooks have been reproduced in black and white photo-facsimile in volumes 28–40 of the James Joyce Archive and to date twelve notebooks have been published in The Finnegans Wake Notebooks at Buffalo series as follows:
| Manuscript | JJA & FWNB Edition |
|---|---|
| VI.A | 28.001-286 |
| VI.B.1 | 29.001–092 & FWNB: VI.B.1 |
| VI.B.2 | 29.093–179 |
| VI.B.3 | 29.180–262& FWNB: VI.B.3 |
| VI.B.4 | 29.263–429 |
| VI.B.5 | 30.001–084 & FWNB: VI.B.5 |
| VI.B.6 | 30.085–169 & FWNB: VI.B.6 |
| VI.B.7 | 30.170–292 |
| VI.B.8 | 30.293–415 |
| VI.B.9 | 31.001–078 |
| VI.B.10 | 31.079–139 & FWNB: VI.B.10 |
| VI.B.11 | 31.140–225 |
| VI.B.12 | 31.226–322 & Forthcoming |
| VI.B.13 | 32.001–119 |
| VI.B.14 | 32.121–239 & FWNB: VI.B.14 |
| VI.B.15 | 32.241–355 |
| VI.B.16 | 32.357–431 & FWNB: VI.B.16 |
| VI.B.17 | 33.002–056 |
| VI.B.18 | 33.059–204 |
| VI.B.19 | 33.207–323 |
| VI.B.20 | 33.325–383 |
| VI.B.21 | 34.001–153 |
| VI.B.22 | 34.155–251 |
| VI.B.23 | 34.253–331 |
| VI.B.24 | 34.333–484 |
| VI.B.25 | 35.002–025 & FWNB: VI.B.25 |
| VI.B.26 | 35.027–105 |
| VI.B.27 | 35.107–185 |
| VI.B.28 | 35.187–288 & Forthcoming |
| VI.B.29 | 36.001–115 & FWNB: VI.B.29 |
| VI.B.30 | 36.117–171 |
| VI.B.31 | 36.173–311 & Forthcoming |
| VI.B.32 | 36.313–431 & FWNB: VI.B.32 |
| VI.B.33 | 37.002–104 & FWNB: VI.B.33 |
| VI.B.34 | 37.106–202 |
| VI.B.35 | 37.204–279 |
| VI.B.36 | 37.281–444 |
| VI.B.37 | 38.001–121 |
| VI.B.38 | 38.123–225 |
| VI.B.39 | 38.227–234 |
| VI.B.40 | 38.236–353 |
| VI.B.41 | 39.001–107 |
| VI.B.42 | 39.109–204 |
| VI.B.43 | 39.207–277 |
| VI.B.44 | 39.279–376 |
| VI.B.45 | 40.001–110 |
| VI.B.46 | 40.113–238 |
| VI.B.47 | 40.241–291 & FWNB: VI.B.47 |
| VI.B.48 | 40.293–323 |
| VI.B.49.a | 40.325 |
| VI.B.49.b, [verso–recto in the JJA] | 40.326 and 327 |
| VI.B.49.c [loose leaf from VI.B.6] | 40.328 and 329 & See FWNB: VI.B.6 |
| VI.B.49.d | 40.330 and 331 |
| VI.B.49.e | 40.332 and 333 |
| VI.B.49.f | 40.334 and 335 |
| VI.B.49.g | 40.336 and 337 |
| VI.B.49.h | 40.338–340 |
| VI.B.50.a | 40.342 and 343 |
| VI.B.50.b | 40.344 & 57.406 |
| VI.B.50.c | 40.345 |
| VI.B.50.d | 40.346 and 347 |
| VI.B.50.e | 40.348 |
| VI.B.50.f | 40.350 |
On the other hand, partial reproductions and transcriptions of the notebooks have not been noted here; for further information, see A Wake Newslitter, A Wake Digest, A Finnegans Wake Circular, and Genetic Joyce Studies, among other publications.
General Other Markings
As far as we know, from at least 1917 onwards, Joyce habitually crossed through the entries in the notebooks that he had used in his manuscripts in variously colored crayons. All of the Ulysses notebooks and notesheets are marked in this way as are virtually all the “Work in Progress”/Finnegans Wake notebooks. Although he must have used many different crayons over the decades, Joyce most often used a similar range of (relatively few) crayon colors, specifically red, orange, blue, green, black, and brown. It appears that Joyce may have used several different shades of red crayon as well as one or more shades of orange colored crayons. Scholars have come to realize that draft usage is the only reliable guide to distinguishing between the different shades of red and orange colored crayons, if they are in fact different. Therefore, throughout this catalogue the distinctions between red and orange colored crayons (as well as shades thereof) are only intended as a general guide. The colors of the crayons are listed in the order in which they first appear in the notebook.
Furthermore, Joyce tagged eleven notebooks as he used them for the revisions of his texts for transition magazine as follows:
| Manuscript | Sign | Crayon Color |
|---|---|---|
| VI.B.3, p. [168] upside down | “t12” | Blue |
| VI.B.3, p. [168] upside down | “t13” | Green |
| VI.B.6, p. [192] | “t 12” | Blue |
| VI.B.6, back cover verso, vertical | “t13 13” | Green |
| VI.B.9, front cover verso | “t 12” | Blue |
| VI.B.9, back cover recto | “t 13” | Green |
| VI.B.8, front flyleaf recto | “t12” | Blue |
| VI.B.8, back flyleaf verso | “t13” | Green |
| VI.B.8, back flyleaf recto | “t14” | Blue |
| VI.B.13, front cover verso | “t12” | Blue |
| VI.B.13, back cover recto | “t13” | Green |
| VI.B.15, front cover verso | “t 13” | Green |
| VI.B.15, front flyleaf recto | “t12” | Blue |
| VI.B.12, front cover verso | “t14” | Blue |
| VI.B.12, back flyleaf verso | “t12” | Blue |
| VI.B.18, front flyleaf recto | “t 12” | Blue |
| VI.B.18, p. [001] | “t11” | Red |
| VI.B.18, p. [001] | “t13” | Green |
| VI.B.21, front flyleaf recto | “12” | Blue |
| VI.B.21, front flyleaf recto | “t13” | Green |
| VI.B.21, front flyleaf recto | “t14” | Blue |
| VI.B.20, front cover verso | “t11” | Red |
| VI.B.20, p. [116] | “t13” | Green |
| VI.B.24, front flyleaf verso | ‘t17/p. 160’ | Blue |
Note that both the “t11” tags are in red crayon (MSS VI.B.18 and VI.B.20); all the “t12” tags are in blue crayon (MSS VI.B.3, VI.B.6, VI.B.9, VI.B.8, VI.B.13, VI.B.15, VI.B.12, and VI.B.21); all the “t13” tags are in green crayon (MSS VI.B.3, VI.B.6, VI.B.9, VI.B.8, VI.B.13, VI.B.15, VI.B.18, and VI.B.20); the three “t14” tags are in blue crayon (MSS VI.B.8, VI.B.18 and VI.B.20); and the one reference to “t17” is in blue crayon. The tags refer to transition 11 that was published in February 1928, transition 12 in March 1928, transition 13 in July 1928, as well as transitions 14 and 17, though they did not contain fragments from “Work in Progress.”
Joyce also tagged his notebooks with sigla markings (probably after 1926 and before 1933) as he used continued to use the notebooks as follows:
| Manuscript | Sign(s) | Writing Implement |
|---|---|---|
| VI.B.10, back cover recto | “ | Shem | Cain | |  b” |
Lead pencil |
| VI.B.3, p. [168] | “d” |
Lead pencil |
| VI.B.3, p. [168], upside down | “c/b“ |
Lead pencil |
| VI.B.3, p. [168], upside down | “Shem Cain “ |
Lead pencil |
| VI.B.25, p. [168] | “c “ |
Red crayon |
| VI.B.2, back cover verso | “Shem | Cain | | b | d‘ |
Lead pencil |
| VI.B.11, back cover verso | Shem | Cain” | Lead pencil |
| VI.B.11, back cover verso, upside down | “Shem | Cain | | b” |
Lead pencil |
| VI.B.6, back cover recto | “d“ |
Lead pencil |
| VI.B.6, back cover recto | “ “ |
Red crayon |
| VI.B.6, back cover recto | ““ |
Lead pencil |
| VI.B.6, back cover verso, upside down | “Shem | Cain | “ |
Lead pencil |
| VI.B.6, back cover verso, upside down | “b“ |
Lead pencil |
| VI.B.1, p. [179] | ‘‘ |
Red crayon |
| VI.B.1, p. [179] | ‘b | c | d‘ |
Lead pencil |
| VI.B.16: back cover verso | “ | c” |
Red crayon |
| VI.B.5, back cover verso | “b” |
Lead pencil |
| VI.B.5, back cover verso | ‘ |  ‘ |
Red crayon |
| VI.B.5, back cover verso | “b c | d” |
Lead pencil |
| VI.B.14, front flyleaf verso | ““ |
Red crayon |
| VI.B.14, back cover recto | “c a | d <> ab” |
Lead pencil |
| [VI.D.3] VI.C.5, p. [091] | ‘dbca’ |
NA |
| VI.B.7, front flyleaf verso | ““ |
Red crayon |
| VI.B.7, back flyleaf recto | “dabc” |
Lead pencil |
| VI.B.7, back flyleaf verso | “ | “ |
Lead pencil |
| [VI.D.3] VI.C.15, p. [197] | “dbca” |
NA |
| VI.B.9, front cover verso | ““ |
Blue crayon |
| VI.B.9, front cover verso | ““ |
Red crayon |
| VI.B.9, back cover recto | “d” |
Lead pencil |
| VI.B.8, back flyleaf verso | “d” |
Lead pencil |
| VI.B.8, back flyleaf verso | ““ |
Red crayon |
| VI.B.19, front cover recto | “d” |
Lead pencil |
| VI.B.19, back flyleaf verso | “abcd” |
Lead pencil |
| VI.B.19, back flyleaf verso | ““ |
Red crayon |
| VI.B.12, front cover verso | ““ |
Red crayon |
| VI.B.20, front cover verso | ““ |
Red crayon |
| VI.B.33, front flyleaf recto | “studies” | Orange crayon |
Therefore, Joyce marked five notebooks (MSS VI.B.10, VI.B.3, VI.B.2, VI.B.11, and VI.B.6) with the notation “Shem/Cain” as well as two notebooks (VI.B.5 and VI.B.7) with “” (the “Shem” siglum), which presumably all refer to Finnegans Wake I.7; he marked nine notebooks (VI.B.10, VI.B.3, VI.B.25, VI.B.2, VI.B.11, VI.B.6, VI.B.1, VI.B.5, and VI.B.14) with “” (the “Anna Livia Plurabelle” siglum), which probably refers to Finnegans Wake I.8; he marked eight notebooks (VI.B.6, VI.B.14, VI.B.9, VI.B.7, VI.B.8, VI.B.19, VI.B.12 and VI.B.20) with “” (the “HCE” siglum), which presumably refers to Finnegans Wake Book I; he marked all these notebooks, except VI.B.12, VI.B.20, and VI.B.33, with a variation on the “a–d” sigla, which probably refer to Finnegans Wake III.1–4.
Joyce marked six notebooks with the cities in which he used them as follows:
| Manuscript | City | Date when marked (after) | Writing Implement |
|---|---|---|---|
| VI.B.3, p. [001] | “Z’ch” | July–September 1932 | Red crayon |
| VI.B.5, back cover verso, upside down | “S. Malo” | Probably 1932 | Lead pencil |
| VI.B.21, front cover verso | “Nice” | September–October 1932 | Green crayon |
| VI.B.21, front flyleaf verso | “Z’ch 33” | July 1933 | Red crayon |
| VI.B.27, front flyleaf recto | “Feldkirch” | August–September 1932 | Red crayon |
| VI.B.29, front cover verso | “Nice” | September–October 1932 | Orange crayon |
| VI.B.33, front cover verso | “Zurich | Feldkirch” | July–September 1932 | Orange crayon |
Finally, Mme Raphael marked thirteen notebooks with her initial “R” in black ink, presumably after she had transcribed the notebook: MSS VI.B.4, VI.B.24, VI.B.20, VI.B.14, VI.B.13, VI.B.8, VI.B.22, VI.B.15, VI.B.19, VI.B.35, VI.B.27, VI.B.37, and VI.B.38, presumably in this order as she transcribed these notebooks in MSS VI.C.16, VI.C.15, VI.C.12, VI.C.13, VI.C.14, and VI.C.17.
General Notes
Mme Raphael transcribed the following MSS VI.B notebooks as follows (see the catalogue descriptions for MSS VI.C.1–VI.C.18 for further information):3
| Primary Notebook According to Spielberg’s Ordering | Scribal Notebook(s) |
|---|---|
| VI.B.1, pp. [001]–[180] | VI.C.3, pp. [051]–[176] |
| VI.B.2, pp. front cover verso–back cover verso | VI.C.2, pp. [006]–[122] |
| VI.B.3 | Not transcribed |
| VI.B.4, front flyleaf verso–p. [011] VI.B.4, p. [011]–back flyleaf recto |
VI.C.16, p. [275]–back flyleaf recto; continued on VI.C.15, pp. [001]–[176] |
| VI.B.5, pp. front cover verso–[161] | VI.C.4, pp. [028]–[153] |
| VI.B.6, pp. [001]–[136] VI.B.6, pp. [136]–[191] |
VI.C.2, pp. [198]–[280]; continued on VI.C.3, pp. [001]–[050] |
| VI.B.7, front flyleaf recto–p. [197] VI.B.7, p. [198]–back flyleaf recto |
VI.C.5, pp. [224]–[280]; continued on VI.C.7, pp. [001]–[019] |
| VI.B.8, pp. [001]–[240] VI.B.8, p. [001]–back flyleaf verso |
VI.C.7, pp. [020]–[135] VI.C.13, pp. [027]–[155]: duplicate transcription |
| VI.B.9, pp. [001]–back cover recto | VI.C.4, pp. [154]–[219] |
| VI.B.10, pp. [001]–[120] | VI.C.5, pp. [092]–[169] |
| VI.B.11, pp. [001]–[170] | VI.C.1, pp. [075]–[208] |
| VI.B.12, front cover verso–p. [006] VI.B.12, p. [006]–back cover recto |
VI.C.7, pp. [270]–[276]; continued on VI.C.6, pp. [001]–[140] |
| VI.B.13, front cover verso–p. [188] VI.B.13, p. [188]–back cover recto |
VI.C.12, p. [224]–back flyleaf recto; continued on VI.C.13, pp. [001]–[026] |
| VI.B.14, pp. [001]–[019] VI.B.14, p. [019]–back cover recto |
VI.C.15, pp. [263]–back flyleaf verso; continued on VI.C.12, pp. [001]–[223] |
| VI.B.15, front cover verso–[018] VI.B.15, p. [018]–back cover recto |
VI.C.13, p. [265]–back flyleaf recto; continued on VI.C.14, pp. [001]–[161] |
| VI.B.16, pp. [001]–[012] VI.B.16, pp. [013]–[146] |
VI.C.6, pp. [142]–[149]: transcribed separately VI.C.1, pp. [001]–[074] |
| VI.B.17, pp. [001]–[068] [VI.B.17; missing pages] |
VI.C.5, pp. [170]–[221] VI.C.5, pp. [221]–[223] |
| VI.B.17, pp. [001]–[068] [VI.B.17; missing pages] MS NLI MS 36,39/19, pp. [001] and [002] VI.B.17, pp. [069]–[104] NLI MS 36,39/19, pp. [003] and [004] |
VI.C.11, pp. [001]–[058] VI.C.11, pp. [059]–[061] VI.C.11, pp. [061]–[063] VI.C.11, pp. [063]–[093] VI.C.11, pp. [093]–[095]: duplicate transcription |
| VI.B.18, pp. [002]–back flyleaf recto | VI.C.8, pp. [048]–[216] |
| VI.B.19, front cover verso–back cover recto | VI.C.14, pp. [162]–[255] |
| VI.B.20, pp. front cover verso–[068] VI.B.20, pp. [068]–back cover recto |
VI.C.3, pp. [243]–[280]; continued on VI.C.4, pp. [001]–[027] |
| VI.B.20, front cover verso–p. [101] VI.B.20, p. [102]–back cover recto |
VI.C.11, p. [218]–back flyleaf recto VI.C.15, pp. [253]–[262]: duplicate transcription |
| VI.B.21 | Not transcribed |
| VI.B.22, p. [003]–back cover recto | VI.C.13, pp. [156]–[264] |
| VI.B.23, front flyleaf verso–back flyleaf recto | VI.C.10, pp. [169]–[248] |
| VI.B.24, front flyleaf verso–back flyleaf recto | VI.C.16, pp. [066]–[231] |
| VI.B.25 | Not transcribed |
| VI.B.26, pp. [001]–[182] | VI.C.10, pp. [059]–[168] |
| VI.B.27, front flyleaf verso–back flyleaf recto | VI.C.17, pp. [064]–[150] |
| VI.B.28, pp. [004]–[093] VI.B.28, p. [093]–back flyleaf recto |
VI.C.9, pp. [236]–back flyleaf verso; continued on VI.C.10, pp. [001]–[058] |
| VI.B.29, front flyleaf recto–p. [221] | VI.C.9, pp. [020]–[124] |
| VI.B.30 | Not transcribed |
| VI.B.31, front flyleaf recto–back flyleaf recto | VI.C.9, pp. [125]–[235] |
| VI.B.32, front flyleaf verso–p. [130] VI.B.32, pp. [130]–back flyleaf recto |
VI.C.6, pp. [240]–back flyleaf verso; continued on VI.C.8, pp. [001]–[047] |
| VI.B.33, p. [001]–back board recto | VI.C.6, pp. [150]–[239] |
| VI.B.34, pp. [001]–[172] VI.B.34, pp. [172]–[185] |
VI.C.1, pp. [209]–[280]; continued on VI.C.2, pp. [001]–[005] |
| VI.B.35, front flyleaf recto–p. [039] VI.B.35, pp. [040]–[144] |
VI.C.14, pp. [260]–back flyleaf recto; continued on VI.C.17, pp. [001]–[063] |
| VI.B.36 | Not transcribed |
| VI.B.37, back flyleaf verso–front cover verso | VI.C.17, pp. [151]–[237] |
| VI.B.38, front flyleaf verso–back flyleaf verso | VI.C.18, pp. [001]–[095] |
| VI.B.39–VI.B.48 | Not transcribed |
| VI.B.49.a | VI.C.14, pp. [256]–[257] |
| VI.B.49.b, [verso–recto in the JJA] | VI.C.14, pp. [257]–[260] |
| VI.B.49.c [loose leaf from MS VI.B.6] | VI.C.6, pp. [141]–[142]: transcribed separately |
| VI.B.49.d–h | Not transcribed |
Mme Raphael did not transcribe the first-order “Work in Progress”/Finnegans Wake notebooks MSS VI.B.3, VI.B.21, VI.B.25, VI.B.30, VI.B.36, and VI.B.39–VI.B.48, nor the loose sheets MSS VI.B.49.d–h.
- In the meantime, Joyce had tried another, more durable type of notebook MSS VI.B.14 and VI.B.7.
- Joyce seemed to have settled on this format of vertically-bound notebook from August 1924 through March 1926 since six of the extant Finnegans Wake notebooks are similarly pocket-sized notebooks (VI.B.14, VI.B.7, VI.B.9, VI.B.8, VI.B.19 and VI.B.13, of which VI.B.14 is the largest and VI.B.7 the smallest).
- Note that at least five VI.B notebooks were transcribed twice, presumably accidentally: MSS VI.B.8, VI.B.17 and VI.B.20, as well as the missing notebooks VI.D.2 and VI.D.5.