BookSwell

A celebration of Tinderbox in Three Acts (BOA Editions LTD, 2023) by Cynthia Dewi OkaIn her fourth poetry collection, Cynthia Dewi Oka performs a lyric accounting of the anti-Communist genocide of 1965, which, led by the Indonesian military and with American assistance, erased and devastated millions of lives in Indonesia. Under the New Order dictatorship that ruled by terror for over three decades in the aftermath, perpetrators of the killings were celebrated as national heroes while survivors were systemically silenced. Drawing on US state documents that were only declassified in recent years, Oka gives form and voice to the ghosts that continue to haunt subsequent generations despite decades of state-produced amnesia and disinformation. In service of recovering what must not be remembered, A Tinderbox in Three Acts (BOA Editions, LTD.) repurposes the sanitized lexicon of official discourse, imagines an emotional syntax for the unthinkable, and employs synesthetic modes of perception to convey that which exceeds language. Here, the boundary between singular and collective consciousness is blurred. Here, history as an artifact of the powerful is trumped by the halting memory of those power sought to destroy. Where memory fails, here is poetry to honor the dishonored, the betrayed, the lost Read More ...

An in-person ecopoetics poetry workshop facilitated by Douglas ManuelAs climate change rages, as our carbon footprints expand, as more and more folks become climate refugees, as more and more animals disappear or stumble into extinction, ecopoetry that bears witness to these tragedies, explores them and troubles them, becomes more and more needed, more imperative. In this generative workshop, after a brief discussion differentiating ecopoetry and nature poetry, participants will have the opportunity to trope off of, remix, and reimagine poems by Camille Dungy, Donika Kelly, Craig Santos Perez, Brenda Hillman, and others so that they can add their voices to the chorus of poets calling to us to act, change, and be better for our present moment and for the future. *One scholarship will be awarded to a QTPOC/BIPOC L.A.-residing individual who would like to join but does not have the means to do so. Please email us if interested at info@beyondbaroque.orgWorkshop attendees are expected to participate in a respectful, constructive, and considerate manner. Beyond Baroque reserves the right to remove individuals from our workshops, virtual or otherwise, if they are not respecting the space, fellow participants, or facilitator.About the FacilitatorDouglas Manuel was born in Anderson, Indiana and now resides Read More ...

An evening of poetry in celebration of Linda Ravenswood's newest collection (Black Spring Press Group, 2023).Celebrated poet Linda Ravenswood presents Cantadora - Letters from California, a collection of 44 hybrid texts which read as maps, diary entries, manifestos, dream fragments, and lists. Her branching perspective of the 500+ years span of the (so-called) Conquest of Mexico by Cortés and the Spanish army (1521-present) explores reverberations across landscapes & cultures of the American West that are still being navigated. The voices explore past, present, & future histories of those who dwell in the West. Some histories explored include WWII Holocaust survivors of Los Angeles, relocated NDN children of the 19th century, Chontales people of the Yucatán encountering ships of Cortés, border blurring, intersectional feminism, and 21st-century balancing acts of Latinidad. This extraordinary collection is a tour de force of poetic craft, colonial sensitivity, intellect, and conscience. In celebration of Cantadora - Letters From California, Linda Ravenswood alongside Chicano poet Matt Sedillo, author Jennifer Lewis, & L.A. Poet Laureate Lynne Thompson will join us for an evening of poetry readings in-person at Beyond Baroque. Celebrate the publication of Cantadora: -Letters from California (The Black Spring Press Group) with an evening of readings Read More ...

Booksigning and panel discussion with celebrity photographer Carell Augustus and celebrities featured in the iconic book, Black Hollywood.Malik Books and Pan African Film Festival join forces to present an evening of Black History. Black-Owned, Independent Book Store Brings the Love of Reading to the Pan African Film Festival with Panel Discussion and Booksigning featuring celebrity photographer Carell Augustus, Author of "Black Hollywood: Reimagining Iconic Movie Moments" Mon Feb 13, 2023 at 7PM Malik Books - Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall 3650 W M.L King Blvd Los Angeles, Ca 90008Free Admission. Pre-Ordering book is strongly encouraged. Order at MalikBooks.comCarell along with celebrities featured in the book will host a booksigning and panel discussion about classic Hollywood with today's iconic Black entertainers. This coffee table photo book features over sixty-five Black entertainers. CONFIRMED CELEBRITIES: To Be Announced!Link to Pre Order - Black Hollywood: Reimagining Iconic Movie Moments by Carell AugustusOnce Upon a Time in Black HollywoodBlack Hollywood: Reimaging Iconic Movie Moments is a groundbreaking take on Hollywood's most beloved films, including Breakfast at Tiffany's, Singin' in the Rain, Mission: Impossible, Forrest Gump, and more. Carell, a visionary, has created a "who's who" of today's Black entertainers featured in iconic cinematic scenes, renewing readers' Read More ...

Join Bel Canto Books as we celebrate the launch of AND OTHER MISTAKES by debut author Erika Turner with C.B. Lee (A CLASH OF STEEL).Bel Canto Books is honored to host the book launch of AND OTHER MISTAKES by debut author Erika Turner. Erika will be joined conversation by C.B. Lee, author of A CLASH OF STEEL.RSVP required; please select the ticket option that best fits your group. Attendees will be required to follow all current COVID-19 restrictions. This is an outdoor event in the garden at The Hangout (2122 E 4th Street, LB).ABOUT THE BOOKA teenage girl deals with insecurities, a stressful family life, tension with friends, and being on the cross-country team, in And Other Mistakes—a debut Young Adult coming-of-age novel by Erika Turner about accepting one’s selfABOUT THE AUTHORErika Turner is a writer, a poet, and the daughter of storytellers. Sometimes, she writes songs she may one day share. Once, in a Brooklyn community center, she read James Baldwin's quote "You can't tell the children there's no hope," and she carries those words from the city to the desert and beyond. She lives in California with her family and a dog who is suspicious of stationary street Read More ...

BET On BLACK: The Good News About Being Black in America Today with Actress, Media Personality and Author Eboni K WilliamsMalik Books Presents in partnership with PAFF 2023BET On BLACK: The Good News About Being Black in America Today. Discussion and Booksigning with Eboni K Williams Moderator: Devyn Bakewell - Author & Assistant Managing Editor Los Angeles Sentinel/Los Angeles Watts Times Wednesday February 15, 2023 at 7PMMalik Books - (Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall) 3650 W Martin Luther King Jr Blvd Ste 245 Los Angeles, Ca 90008. Event Format: Discussion, Q & A, and Booksigning Ticket: Includes Admission and one Book (BET On BLACK)BET On BLACK: The Good News About Being Black in America TodayJournalist, attorney, and star of Bravo's The Real Housewives of New York reshapes the cultural landscape of achievement by showing why Black unity is crucial to individual and collective success.Eboni K. Williams knew that an important part of her mission as a media personality would be to unabashedly place Blackness on a pedestal. Williams has long known that Blackness is a rich, expansive place that centers resilience, excellence, beauty, panache, and brilliance. But these notions of Blackness have long been distorted by American racism, where for generations Read More ...

A celebration of The Certain Body (Four Way Books, 2022) by Julia GuezIn the long limbo of post-viral syndrome, Julia Guez aptly frames the recursive paralysis of pandemic rhetoric, whose seeming transitions always arrive at the same uncertainty: “and then what / and then / what, what / then.” The Certain Body captures life with illness—how the body moves through disease and rests in the liminal space of otherness. Following the speaker through a harrowing and disorienting SARS-Cov-2 infection, readers witness the poet’s gradual refortification as Guez traverses all facets of sickness: its mercies, its pleasures, its gratitudes, its reliefs, its gorgeousnesses. Probing, sharp poems centering an awareness of human ephemerality answer the words of Viktor Shklovsky: “And art exists that one may recover the sensation of life; it exists to make one feel things, to make the stone stony.” In “If Indeed I Am Ill,” Guez writes, “These sonatas, these scores, tell me / what of them will last when everything falls away—” Through these lyric expressions, Guez shows us not just how art can heal but how healing is art, a modality of acceptance, the meaning in the process, a mosaic of imperfections that creates and embraces what Read More ...

An afternoon celebrating three years of the VCP SoCal Poets with an in-person reading. New and existing board members will be introduced.Join the VCP SoCal Poets for an afternoon of poetry readings by Laurel Ann Bogen, Michael C Ford, Rick Lupert, E Amato, Beth Ruscio, Robert Krut, and Ashaki Jackson. To celebrate the start of its 3rd year as a virtual poetry series, the VCP SoCal Poets will hold its first live reading of notable Los Angeles-based poets at Beyond Baroque. New and existing board members will be introduced as founding executive director, Jerry Garcia, steps down. About the organization VCP SoCal Poets is a non-profit organization committed to the cultivation and advancement of poetry in Southern California. Founded during the Covid-19 pandemic, its goal is to provide the camaraderie and spirit of the original Valley Contemporary Poets founded by Nan Hunt in 1980.This event is Free & In-Person at Beyond Baroque. Masks are required while inside our center.Event attendees are expected to behave in a respectful and considerate manner while in our space. Beyond Baroque reserves the right to remove individuals from our events, virtual or otherwise, if they are not respecting the space, fellow attendees, or performers.If you Read More ...

Join Bel Canto Books as we celebrate the launch for BLACK CANDLE WOMEN with Diane Marie Brown + Ashley M. Coleman.Bel Canto Books is honored to host the book launch of BLACK CANDLE WOMEN with debut author Diane Marie Brown. Diane will be joined conversation by Ashley M. Coleman, author of GOOD MORNING, LOVE.RSVP required; please select the ticket option that best fits your group. Attendees will be required to follow all current COVID-19 restrictions. This is an outdoor event in the garden at The Hangout (2122 E 4th Street, LB).ABOUT THE BOOKPractical Magic meets The Secret Lives of Church Ladies and The Mothers in this warm and wry family drama with a magical twist about four generations of Black women living under one roof and the family curse--any person they fall in love with dies--that stems back to a Voodoo shop in 1950s New Orleans’ French Quarter.ABOUT THE AUTHORDiane Marie Brown is a professor at Orange Coast College and a public health professional for the Long Beach Health Department. She has a BA and MPH from UCLA and a degree in fiction from USC's Master of Professional Writing Program. She grew up in Stockton and now lives in Long Read More ...

Matthew Desmond with Michael Tubbs discussing his book, "Poverty, by America" Join us for an in-person* Live Talks Los Angeles event:  Thursday, March, 2022, 8pm  Matthew Desmond with Michael Tubbs  discussing his book, "Poverty, by America"    TICKETS: $46 General Admission ticket + signed copy of the book $20 General Admission ticket Additional books available for purchase at event Face masks recommended ASL interpreter provided upon request. Free parking at the venue The Pulitzer Prize–winning, bestselling author of Evicted reimagines the debate on poverty, making a new and bracing argument about why it persists in America: because the rest of us benefit from it. Poverty, by America is one of the most anticipated books of 2023: It’s the latest from best-seller Matthew Desmond, who won the Pulitzer in 2017 for Evicted: Poverty & Profit in the American City. Over the last few years, Desmond’s spent time with dozens of people who live in poverty, while doing a deep-dive into abundant data and research. Through this work, he's uncovered a story about how our society works to keep poor people poor, while rewarding its richhest citizens. How do we become poverty abolitionists and usher in a new age of shared prosperity? Come hear Desmond speak about Read More ...

A night of music and poetry featuring A.K. Toney, Rhys Langston, Tori Gesualdo, and music by The Cesar Hernandez QuintetBeyond Baroque presents an evening of diatonic feels in rhyming verse & auxiliary prose. Inspired by Rhys Langston’s first track in Grapefruit Radio (published by Black Market Poetry), this powerhouse line-up features three poets based in Los Angeles; multi-media artist Rhys Langston, drummer/spoken-word poet A.K. Toney & the magic of Tori Gesualdo. Enjoy the poetry followed by a stellar performance with The Cesar Hernandez Quintet! Doors open 7:30 p.m. Performances begin at 8:00 p.m. About the artists: A.K. Toney is a Griot, writer, and educator. He currently is a Literacy Coordinator, Artist teacher and owner of Reading Is Poetry. Although Toney has yet to publish a full volume of poetry, he is currently working on his first book and album chronicling his life as a poet in the Leimert Park Village area in Los Angeles, CA. As a Griot Toney has learned the art of storytelling while playing percussion instruments. He often deeply emerges himself into rhythms of African Oral Tradition and Jazz from a modern urban perspective. A.K. follows the role of the Griot singing and playing the message, loving, Read More ...

A reading with former & current Francisco Homes residentsJoin us for a reading with the writers of the Francisco Homes, a collection of transitional homes for formerly incarcerated communities. These writers come together on Thursday nights for writing workshops where they share stories, laughs, challenges, feedback, and life lessons. The pieces they share (and the writers who penned them) come out of various contexts. Some authors composed these pieces while incarcerated; other work has come from the time the group spends together each Thursday—particularly during their sacred twelve-minute free writes. Many of the authors' pieces can be found in the Francisco Homes anthology Free Writers: A Collection of Our Truths.Regardless of the writing's provenance or destination, these authors are united through their participation in the Francisco Homes Writing Workshop at some point between 2019 and 2023, and the collection of pieces chosen for this reading showcase the writers' experiences, ideas, and talents. The event will feature readings by current and former residents of The Francisco Homes: John Njoroge Charles Mebane Daryl Thompson
 Ronnie NodayRill AlexanderGilbert SalazarRonald PattersonJohn SanchezJessie Garciaand the participation of USC professors Ben Pack, Zen Dochterman, Emily Artiano, and Stephanie Bower. About the organization: The writers of The Read More ...

A book launch and reading to celebrate the newest release by Tom LaichasIn this extraordinary collection, Tom Laichas is our Vigil, guiding us through Venice, California, and its ancient namesake. Throughout Laichas shape-shifts from resident, to historian, to social critic, to ghost, moving among one neighborhood’s heavens and hells. A work of poetry, prose, and memoir, Three Hundred Streets of Venice is masterful, provocative, and unforgettable. To celebrate Laichas’s third poetry collection, poets-travelers Susan Suntree, Beth Ruscio, & Mike Sonsken will be reading their selected works. A reception will be held before and after the event with food & light refreshments. The authors will also be signing books. Doors open: 6:30 p.m. Readings: 7:00 p.m. About the authors: Tom Laichas is the author of Sixty-Three Photographs from the End of a War and Empire of Eden. A recipient of the Nancy Hargrove Poetry Prize, his work is widely published. He lives with his wife Donna in Venice, California. Susan Suntree is an award-winning poet, performer, and essayist whose recent books of poetry included Dear Traveler and the updated paperback and audiobook release of her non-fiction epic poem Sacred Sites: The Secret History of Southern California which won the Southern California Read More ...

Join Lilah Fitzgerald to discuss her recent book STARS & SWASHBUCKLERSABOUT THE BOOKMonsters eat dreams.Yes or no?Far in the future, earth has split apart into thousands of islands dangling between the stars. Privateers search for relics, artifacts, and manuscripts that were lost when the earth split, ships sail the stars like they once sailed oceans, and banished Olde Beings lurk in the Mysts between the islands.Welcome to the broken world.Stuck in steerage on the maiden voyage of the luxury airship the Halthow, sixteen-year-old Anya Marcox is determined to make her brother happy by accepting the fate their dead father used to recite to her like a prayer: average lives for average girls.But when an encounter with a dashing stranger lands Anya in the middle of a cutthroat race to find a relic that could change the fate of the islands, average is no longer an option.Compelled by the whispering of the stars that have always promised her something more, Anya finds herself secretly working as a privateer—and falling for her partner in crime. But her treasure hunt through the stars soon turns deadly: the nightmares are getting worse . . . and Anya is beginning to wonder if they’re more Read More ...

Ari Shapiro in conversation with Pamela Adlon discussing his book, "The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening"Join us for an in-person* Live Talks Los Angeles event:Tuesday, April 4, 2022, 8pm*Virtual event airs on April 10 at 6pm PT/9pm ETAri Shapiro with Pamela Adlon "The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening"TICKETS:$46 General Admission ticket + one signed copy of the book$66 Two General Admission tickets + one signed bookAdditional books available for purchase at eventFace masks recommendedTickets also include opportunity to watch the virtual event The virtual version of this event airs on April 10, at 6pm PT/9PM ET and is available on video-on-demand for five days Tickets for the virtual event can be purchased here (includes the book)ASL interpreter provided upon request.Free parking at the venuePresented in association with New Roads School.Join award-winning NPR journalist Ari Shapiro for an evening of conversation about his memoir and tales from his storied broadcast career.Award-winning NPR journalist Ari Shapiro steps from behind the microphone as he visits Live Talks Los Angeles with the release of his first book, The Best Strangers in the World. On a quest to help people listen to one another, and to find Read More ...

Matthew Desmond with Michael Tubbs discussing his book, "Poverty, by America"*** US orders only. We only ship books to addresses in the US. Join us for a virtual Live Talks Los Angeles event:Thursday, April 6, 2022, 6pm PST/9pm ESTMatthew Desmond with Michael Tubbs discussing his book, "Poverty, by America"TICKETS:$40 Ticket: Virtual Admission + a signed copy of "Poverty, by America"Complimentary to watchBooks ship one week after the event.The Pulitzer Prize–winning, bestselling author of Evicted reimagines the debate on poverty, making a new and bracing argument about why it persists in America: because the rest of us benefit from it.Poverty, by America is one of the most anticipated books of 2023: It’s the latest from best-seller Matthew Desmond, who won the Pulitzer in 2017 for Evicted: Poverty & Profit in the American City. Over the last few years, Desmond’s spent time with dozens of people who live in poverty, while doing a deep-dive into abundant data and research. Through this work, he's uncovered a story about how our society works to keep poor people poor, while rewarding its richhest citizens.How do we become poverty abolitionists and usher in a new age of shared prosperity? Come hear Desmond speak about new ways of thinking about a morally urgent Read More ...

In this three-hour intensive workshop, we will say the things we never thought we would, no matter how silly or serious the subjectThere’s something about poetry that begs you to be honest. Unsure of yourself as an adult? Feeling like a badass? In a complicated relationship with food delivery services? Still have love for your ex? Haunted by those bangs you had in high school? Manifesting a life of abundance? Not sure how you feel about toppling the prison industrial complex? No matter how silly or serious the subject, join us for a workshop where we will say the things we never thought we’d say through poetry.Poems are where we tell the truth . . . sometimes. But the art of performance or awareness of the reader or just plain fear can sometimes dull the sharp edges of our honesty. We’ll look at poems from folks who are good at being honest about what hurts and heals them, what makes them smile fondly or wince dramatically, and what makes them lay awake at night in wonder. And then we will dig into our own truths and tuck some of them into poems. . . if only to be honest with Read More ...

A reading with four contributors from the Santa Monica Review.West Coast lit mag Santa Monica Review celebrates its spring 2023 issue with readings by four contributors: Short story writers Kristen Leigh Schwarz and Gregory Tower, poet and novelist Kareem Tayyar, and writer, critic and fiction writer Yxta Maya Murray. SMR editor Andrew Tonkovich emcees. Free copy of the journal with admission. Doors open: 2:30 p.m. Readings: 3:00 p.m. This event is Free & In-Person at Beyond Baroque. Masks are required while inside our center. Event attendees are expected to behave in a respectful and considerate manner while in our space. Beyond Baroque reserves the right to remove individuals from our events, virtual or otherwise, if they are not respecting the space, fellow attendees, or performers.If you can’t join us in-person the event will be livestreamed on Beyond Baroque’s YouTube channel at the scheduled time of the event.Please RSVP if you are planning to attend this event. We accept walk-ins, but priority will be given to people that have registered. Limited seating is available; we recommend arriving early.

Voices at the Center of American Literature will feature readings and conversations by and with BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authorsDetails and DescriptionApril 8, 20234:00pm PT1540 Lincoln AvenuePasadena, CA 91103Official Description:Funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, Voices at the Center of American Literature will feature readings and conversations by and with BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors to discuss visibility, community, and navigating multiple identities, plus the “own voice” and personal narrative. Award-winning poets Afaa M. Weaver and Douglas Manuel will speak on these topics in a conversation moderated by Los Angeles Poet Laureate Lynne Thompson, joined by jazz musician Dr. Ray Briggs of the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. This event will also be paired with a brand new photography exhibition, featuring photographs by Alfred Haymond of the 2020 George Floyd/#BlackLivesMatter protests around Pasadena.Please join us for what will undoubtedly be a powerfully moving experience.ASL interpreting services will be provided. This event will take place in-person at the Hen House Literary Center in Pasadena, California, and will also be livestreamed on Red Hen Press’s website at redhen.org/virtual, Red Hen’s YouTube Channel, and Red Hen’s Facebook Page.This event is free, but all events taking place at the Hen House Literary Center Read More ...

A reading welcoming the recently-appointed California Poet Laureate, Lee HerrickJoin us for a night of poetry as Beyond Baroque welcomes Lee Herrick to Los Angeles. Last year Herrick was appointed California Poet Laureate by Governor Gavin Newsom. He is the author of poetry books Scar and Flower, Gardening Secrets of the Dead, and This Many Miles from Desire. A Fresno native, Herrick is a professor at both Fresno City College, and University of Reno, Lake Tahoe. As Poet Laureate he plans to improve access to poetry and the arts in communities where people might not have ready access to them. Herrick will be joined by renowned poets of Southern California, F. Douglas Brown, Amy Uyematsu, and Michelle Brittan Rosado. Enjoy a reception before and after the performances with refreshments. The authors will be signing books. Doors open: 6:30 p.m. Readings: 7:00 p.m. About the Authors: Lee Herrick is the California Poet Laureate. He is the author of three books of poems: Scar and Flower, Gardening Secrets of the Dead, and This Many Miles from Desire. He is co-editor of The World I Leave You: Asian American Poets on Faith and Spirit. His writing appears in anthologies such as HERE: Poems Read More ...

Ari Shapiro in conversation with Pamela Adlon discussing his book, "The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening"*** US orders only. We only ship books to addresses in the US. Join us for a virtual Live Talks Los Angeles event:Monday, April 10, 2022, 6pm PST/9pm ESTAri Shapiro with Pamela Adlon "The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening"TICKETS:$40 Ticket: Virtual Admission + a signed copy of the bookTicket includes opportunity to watch the event on video-on-demand for five days, thru April 15 at midnight.Books ship one week after the event.Join award-winning NPR journalist Ari Shapiro for an evening of conversation about his memoir and tales from his storied broadcast career.Award-winning NPR journalist Ari Shapiro steps from behind the microphone as he visits Live Talks Los Angeles with the release of his first book, The Best Strangers in the World. On a quest to help people listen to one another, and to find connection and commonality with people outside our self-reinforcing bubbles, Shapiro reveals the stories behind heartwarming, heartbreaking and poignant narratives in this compelling memoir.Long-time broadcaster Ari Shapiro has reported for NPR from above the Artic Circle and aboard Air Force One, covering wars and files stories from dozens Read More ...

Susanna Hoffs with Susan Orlean discussing her novel, "This Bird Has Flown."Join us for an in-person* Live Talks Los Angeles event:Monday, April 10, 2022, 8pm*Virtual event airs on April 16 at 3pm PT/6pm ETSusanna Hoffs with Susan Orlean discussing her debut novel, "This Bird Has Flown."TICKETS:$46 General Admission ticket + one signed copy of the book$66 Two General Admission tickets + one signed bookAdditional books available for purchase at eventFace masks recommendedTickets also include opportunity to watch the virtual event The virtual version of this event airs on April 16, at 3pm PT/6PM ET and is available on video-on-demand for five days Tickets for the virtual event can be purchased here (includes the book)ASL interpreter provided upon request.Free parking at the venuePresented in association with New Roads School.A delightfully funny and steamy novel about music, fate, redemption, and love, from a beloved songwriter and the co-founder of The Bangles.The fabulous Susanna Hoffs has written a novel! If you love The Bangles, you’ll love This Bird Has Flown. Hoffs tapped into the musical world she knows well to craft this story. It's about a thirty-something pop star who’s hit rock bottom and, thanks to a chance encounter on a plane, revives her life Read More ...