Taking the UB James Joyce Museum Story to Washington

BY SCOTT HOLLANDER

For three days in April, the future UB James Joyce Museum took center stage in Washington, D.C., as representatives from the University at Buffalo shared the story of one of the world's leading James Joyce collections with donors, diplomats, elected officials, cultural leaders and a few fellow lovers of Irish literature.

Led by Evviva Weinraub Lajoie, vice provost for University Libraries, the delegation included representatives from UB Libraries, the UB Foundation, and the university's Office of Government and Community Relations, all working to raise awareness of the museum project and its significance to Buffalo and the international scholarly community.

The centerpiece of the trip was A Preview of the James Joyce Museum: A Capitol Gathering, held April 21 at the Library of Congress's James Madison Memorial Building. Guests gathered to learn more about the remarkable James Joyce Collection at UB and the vision for a museum that will bring one of the world's leading Joyce collections to life for scholars, students, literary enthusiasts and the broader public.

The future museum will create new opportunities to explore the life, work and legacy of one of Ireland's most influential writers while expanding access to one of the world's leading collections devoted to Joyce. 

The program featured remarks from Irish ambassador to the United States Geraldine Byrne Nason, UB President Satish K. Tripathi, James Maynard, curator of the UB Poetry Collection, and Congressman Tim Kennedy. Together, they emphasized the international significance of James Joyce’s literary legacy and UB’s role as steward of a globally significant Joyce collection.

The conversations continued well beyond the Library of Congress. During the visit, the delegation met with congressional offices from New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts to discuss the museum's educational, cultural and economic impact and its potential to attract scholars and visitors to Buffalo.

Meetings included the offices of Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, along with Reps. Mike Kelly, Claudia Tenney, Nick Langworthy, Richard Neal and Tim Kennedy.

The group also met with Stephen O'Shea, press and public diplomacy counsellor at the Embassy of Ireland, further strengthening ties with Ireland's literary and cultural community. Later that evening, delegation members were invited back to the Embassy to attend a special reception honoring acclaimed Irish author Colm Tóibín.

Washington offered a few unexpected moments as well. After attending the reception, members of the UB delegation were surprised to run into Tóibín again the following day at Kramer Books, a well-known independent bookstore in Washington, D.C., while meeting with alumni and supporters. For a trip centered on Irish literature and the legacy of James Joyce, it felt like an appropriately literary coincidence.

Alumni and donor engagement were also important components of the visit. Director of Advancement Shana DiCamillo, along with James Maynard and other members of the delegation, met with supporters to share the vision for the project and discuss ways to help bring it to life.

From congressional offices to donor meetings to conversations at the Embassy of Ireland, one theme emerged: strong enthusiasm for the museum’s potential. 

The trip underscored how strongly the story of James Joyce at UB resonates far beyond Buffalo. Everywhere the project was discussed, there was interest in learning more, not only about the future museum, but also about the remarkable collection that inspired it.

For a few days in April, that story was shared at the Library of Congress, on Capitol Hill, at the Embassy of Ireland and even in the aisles of a neighborhood bookstore. The response suggested that the next chapter in the story of James Joyce at UB may be one of its most exciting yet.