Flash Photography by Genesis Perez: 5th Anniversary Celebration

Join us in celebrating five years of Flash Photography by former Youth Poet Laureate of Ventura County, Genesis Perez
About this Event

Join us in celebrating five years of Flash Photography by Genesis Perez. This debut collection was published by Spit Shine Press at the end of Perez's time as the Youth Poet Laureate of Ventura County. Flash Photography acts a time capsule of Perez's teen years and earliest published writings. Be prepared for angst, cringe, and an honest look into the teen years. Co-features include Ga'agé Taya, Fernando Albert Salinas, and more surprise special guests reading original work and poems from Flash Photography in The Wanda Coleman Theater.

Doors Open: 7:00 PM I Readings: 7:30 PM

Genesis Perez is queer Chicanx poet and performer from Oxnard, California. From 2019 to 2020 they were the Youth Poet Laureate of Ventura County. They released their debut collection of poetry Flash Photography in 2021. Perez has performed at .Paak House, Medicine for Nightmares, Loud & Queer and Da Poetry Lounge. Their work has appeared in Drifter Zine, Muchacha Fanzine, and Mobile Data Mag. Currently they are the Bookstore and Programs Assistant at Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center in Venice. If you visit them at the bookstore, they will make you tea.

Ga'agé Taya, "Crow Daughter" is a Poet from Ventura County best known for her slam poetry. Her work covers reflections of Indigiqueer life, spanning from retellings of ancestral stories, flowery vignettes, and calls to action. Born, raised, and actively living in Ventura County, Ga'agé Taya has a deep love for the nature around her, much of which can be heard among the settings of her poetry. She can be found online as @crow.babe on Instagram, and at [email protected].

Born in Los Angeles County, Fox Hills, California, Fernando Albert Salinas received a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing with an emphasis in Entertainment from F.S.U. and a Bachelor of Arts in English at California State University, Channel Islands. Fernando Albert Salinas has been associated with California Poets in the Schools as a member of the Board of Directors, a Ventura County Area Coordinator, and as a Master Poet-Teacher for over 10 years. Now, he is the Statewide Program Manager for CalPoets. He is also a Professor of English at Ventura College and the Editor-in-chief for Spit Shine Publishing. As Literary Arts Program Coordinator for the Ventura County Arts Council, he focused on enhancing the presence and appreciation of poetry and the literary arts, raising awareness of the power of literature, poetry, and the spoken word. In 2012, Salinas initiated the Groundswell Committee: a small collection of local poets, with the support of the Ventura County Arts Council, and created the County’s poet laureate program. In 2018, he implemented a youth poet laureate program for the county. His written poetry has appeared in several publications, including Askew Poetry Journal, Solo Poetry Journal, Miramar, and Lummox Press. His full length book of poetry, Toxic Masculinity was published by Flower Song Press. He has performed his spoken word and taught internationally.

Doors Open: 7:00 PM I Readings: 7:30 PM

About Beyond Baroque

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.