First: WOW. Thanks to all of you who answered last Thursday’s question regarding the purpose of stories. So many magnificent, thoughtful answers.
What a community.
And wouldn’t that make a cool little book? (Why Stories? by Story Club.)
So, to continue our discussion of “Clay,” I want to share with you an email I got from Justin Ting, Story Club Member:
Hi, George,
My copy of Dubliners mentions that there was an early version of the story called "Christmas Eve," and that the manuscript for this earlier draft had been published in A James Joyce Miscellany, Third Series. I was curious, so I found a copy--the relevant text is attached. (Apologies if you already have seen this.) The draft appears to be incomplete, but it is striking how different this earlier version is.
If you think this would be worth sharing with all of Story Club, please do, if copyright rules permit. The copyright date is 1962 by Southern Illinois University Press. The title does not show on their Web site, and I don'…