Have you ever felt history was a nightmare that you've been trying to escape? Maybe you felt the visible was an ineluctable modality? Or maybe, once, you felt like “a creature driven and derided by vanity.” Well, if you understand these references, then you know the work of James Joyce. He's such a beloved and iconoclastic writer, the Dubliner has his own holiday. And I'm referring to the un-holiest of holidays — Bloomsday — an homage to James Joyce's tome Ulysses. Bloomsday marks June 16, 1904, the day on which the entirety of Ulysses takes place. It's the story of Leopold Bloom walking around Dublin, wondering if his wife had pickled another man's pepper, and Stephen Dedalus, contemplating art and existence. Celebrate the great wordsmith at the Hammer Museum with a cast full of accomplished actors interpreting the “Aeolus” chapter. It's a moment in the book — Episode 7 — filled with blowhard pressmen and brilliant banter. The actors surely will teach you how a modern literary classic can be hilarious. Plus, there will be live Irish music, a Guinness happy hour, and an opportunity to read out loud from Ulysses. This is how we keep our great authors alive and relevant. Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Wstwd.; Sat, June 16, 2-10 p.m.; $10 museum admission, $5 seniors. (310) 443-7000, hammer.ucla.edu.

Sat., June 16, 2-10 p.m., 2012

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.