Photo courtesy of The Hammer Museum
You don’t have to finish all 1,000 or so pages of James Joyce’s mighty tome, “Ulysses,” in order to celebrate Bloomsday, nor do you have to live in Dublin. The celebration (named after the book’s protagonist, Leopold Bloom), occurs every June 16 around the world, the same date in which the events in the novel take place. It is commemorated with readings from the novel (sometimes marathon in nature), pub crawls, and traditional Irish food.
L.A.’s Hammer Museum will be having its own Bloomsday celebration, with live readings and music. A work by Patrick Gutman, which is based on a quote by W.B. Yeats in “Ulysses,” and uses part of a tune composed by Joyce himself, will be performed for the first time. The band Rattle the Knee will close out the evening performing on the courtyard, where there will be Guinness on tap.
Bloomsday Celebration with Actors: James Gallo, James Lancaster, John Rafter Lee, Johnny O’Callaghan. Music director: Mona Lands. Organizer: Stanley Breitbart.
Thursday, June 16, 7:30 P.M. Reading (Billy Wilder Theater), 9:00 P.M. music and Guinness (courtyard). Free
The Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., L.A., CA 90024 (310) 443-7000
