Gnantwerp
In the autumn of 1926,
Joyce spent several weeks vacation in Belgium. In a letter to Harriet Weaver
from Brussels dated September 14, 1926 he wrote: "Antwerp I renamed Gnantwerp
for I was devoured there by mosquitoes" (LI: 245). The neologism "Gnatwerp"
appears on page 9 of the VI.B. 15 notebook which was composed between late
September 1926 and late January 1927. This notebook--and VI.B. 12, its
predecessor--contains many notes derived from Joyce's visit, a good deal
of which appear in the final text of Finnegans Wake (see especially
the "Museyroom" section of chapter I.1). "Gnantwerp" appears in
the text as "gnot Antwarp gnat" (FW: 140. 02). Seventy years after Joyce's
visit, the mighty Antwerp gnats remain as annoyingly potent as ever.
Sam Slote
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