Hermitix Joyce, McLuhan, and Finnegans Wake with Bob Dobbs
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Apr 9, 2025 
Bob Dobbs, a renegade scholar and archivist for Marshall McLuhan, dives deep into the intricate connections between James Joyce's *Finnegans Wake* and McLuhan's media theories. He discusses the cultural legacy of the trivium on literature and education, the impact of modern media on our understanding of nature, and how Joyce's narrative style reflects historical changes in communication. Dobbs also highlights the transition from passive media consumers to active creators, examining how technology reshapes storytelling and identity.
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McLuhan and Lewis
- McLuhan met Wyndham Lewis in 1943, inspired by his mother.
- They planned a journal and McLuhan moved to Windsor for it, but Lewis returned to London.
Finnegan's Wake Reading Group
- McLuhan and Don Thiel formed a Finnegan's Wake reading group, leading to breakthroughs.
- Thiel's subsequent essay was praised by Carol Gideon, a close friend of Joyce.
Eric McLuhan and the Ten Thunders
- Eric McLuhan, inspired by his father and Harold Innis, analyzed the Ten Thunders in Finnegan's Wake.
- He linked the tenth thunder to television and incorporated the analysis into War and Peace in a Global Village.