Book Launch: Swirl & Vortex by Larry Levis, David St. John & David L. Ulin
Schedule
Fri May 08 2026 at 07:30 pm to 09:30 pm
UTC-07:00Location
Beyond Baroque | Los Angeles, CA
About this Event
Swirl & Vortex at last makes all of Levis’s poetry available in one definitive volume. This collection includes the five books published in Levis’s lifetime, a brilliant reconfiguration of Levis’s posthumous books, and unpublished late poems, edited and with an afterword by David St. John. To trace Levis’s poetic development into his extraordinary “late style of fire”—cut short by his early death—is one of the singular experiences in contemporary poetry. Swirl & Vortex is an essential collection by one of the great poets of the end of the twentieth century, and a transformative work spiraling out toward our future. Join us for a reading, and a Q&A between editor David St. John and author, David L. Ulin. Book signings to follow.
Doors Open: 7:00 PM I Readings: 7:30 PM
About the authors
David St. John is the author of numerous books of poetry, including The Face: A Novella in Verse, Prism, and Study for the World's Body: New and Selected Poems, which was a finalist for the National Book Award. He is also the co-editor of American Hybrid: A Norton Anthology of New Poetry. He edited The Selected Levis and The Darkening Trapeze: Last Poems by Larry Levis. He teaches at the University of Southern California and lives in Los Angeles.
David L. Ulin is author or editor of more than twenty books, including the novel Thirteen Question Method, and American Flash Fiction, which Library of America will publish in September 2026. He is the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Lannan Foundation, and Ucross Foundation, and a professor of English at the University of Southern California, where he edits the journal Air/Light.
About Beyond Baroque
is one of the United States' leading independent Literary | Arts Centers and public spaces dedicated to expanding the public's knowledge of poetry, literature and art through cultural events and community interaction. Founded in 1968 as an experimental literary magazine, Beyond Baroque is based out of the original City Hall building in Venice, California. The Center offers a diverse variety of literary and arts programming including readings and workshops. The building also houses a bookstore with a large collection of new poetry books for sale.
Livestream: If you can’t join us in person the event will be livestreamed on at the scheduled time of the event. If you are tuning in this way, no ticket purchase is necessary.
If you are attending in person, ticket purchase is required. Tickets will be available at the Beyond Baroque bookstore on the day of the event, but we recommend registering in advance through Eventbrite. Masks are encouraged while inside our center. Please arrive early.
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, staff, fellow attendees, or performers.
Where is it happening?
Beyond Baroque, 681 Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00 to USD 11.49
