No Fest: Poetry Marathon Fundraiser

Join us for No Fest: Poetry Marathon Fundraiser, a full day of poetry, books, and community in support of Beyond Baroque’s mission to sustain literary and artistic experimentation in Los Angeles and beyond!

This year’s fundraiser is especially vital. Following the loss of our NEA grant earlier this year—which has limited our programming and canceled the Southern California Poetry Festival—we are calling on our community to help us continue providing a home for writers and artists. For 57 years, Beyond Baroque has stood as a hub for creativity, dialogue, and connection between writers, artists and their readers and audiences. With your support, we can keep that spirit alive.

The day begins at 12 PM with a Book Fair in the Poets’ Garden, featuring independent presses, booksellers, and local creatives. This portion of the event is free and open to the public.

From 12–2 PM, we’ll also host an Open Mic in the Community Garden, an open invitation to share your voice and celebrate the power of poetry!

At 2 PM, the festivities move into The Wanda Coleman Theater for a marathon-style reading featuring poets and supporters from the Beyond Baroque family. Each segment will spotlight a different theme reflecting our values and community spirit. Tickets are available for individual segments—or you can experience the full day of readings with an all-day No Fest pass.

Be part of this crucial moment for the arts. Come celebrate the enduring spirit of poetry and community at 681 Venice Boulevard, and help us keep the arts alive in Venice!

Reading Segments in The Wanda Coleman Theater (More Authors TBA!)

2–3 PM: Honoring Ancestors & Lineage

Bridgette Bianca, Cynthia Briano, Shonda Buchanan, Lynda V.E. Crawford, Jose Hernandez Diaz, Barbara Fant, Arthur Kazakian, Mylo Lam, Darby Price, Lynne Thompson.

3–4 PM: Ode to Humanity

Michelle Bitting, Amy Davis, Kim Dower, Gedda Ilves, Tom Laichas, Jose Oseguera, Luivette Resto, Amy Shimshon-Santo, Gail Wronsky, Brian Sonia-Wallace.

5–6 PM: QTPOC Power & Resistance

Rhiannon Cielos Chavez, Alice Fulmer, Sonia Guiñansaca, Nikki Ochoa, Christopher Soto, Pam Ward.

6–7 PM: Twisting Tongues

Teresa Mei Chuc, Lisbeth Coiman, Ramón García, David Quiroz, Angelina Sáenz, Ivan Sálinas, Anthony Seidman, Brian Kim Stefans, Brenda Vaca.

7–8 PM: Possibilities of Language

Will Alexander, Giovan Alunzi, Molly Bendall, Laurel Ann Bogen, Brendan Constantine, Cynthia Dewi Oka, Rich Ferguson, Sara Ellen Fowler, Amy Gerstler, Larkin Higgins, Holaday Mason, Meghann Plunkett, Jack Skelley, Daniel Tiffany, David Trinidad.

8–9 PM: Building Visions

Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo, Elena Karina Byrne, Zoë Edeskuty, Sesshu Foster, S.A. Griffin, Sehba Sarwar, Adam Stutz, jimmy vega.

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.

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Host or Publisher Beyond Baroque Literary | Arts Center