An afternoon of poetry in Kerouac Alley!
Join the Beyond Baroque crew as they journey to the bay for a one day only reading where SoCal and NorCal meet in poetic harmony. Featuring readings by Beyond Baroque’s very own Rhiannon Cielos Chavez, Genesis Perez, Iván Salinas, & jimmy vega.
jimmy vega is the child of Mexican immigrants, a Chicano Los Angeles poet, educator, and interdisciplinary artist. vega is the author of future shock which was a finalist in the 2025 Alta California Chapbook Contest sponsored by Gunpowder Press. vega’s debut poetry collection zirconium ash (What Books Press) was named one of 25 Best L.A.-Centric books of 2025 by L.A. Taco. A pushcart nominated writer, vega holds a BA from UCLA in English and an MFA in Creative Writing from CalArts; their poems are widely anthologized. vega is currently the Interim Executive Director of Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center.
Iván Salinas is the author of a bilingual chapbook, Dealer: poesía carcacha (There’s Only Peace in Death Press). He is the co-founder of Drifter Zine, highlighting artists of the SFV and beyond. His writings and translations have appeared in Revista Generación, The Acentos Review, Mobile Data Mag, Broken Lens Journal, The Ana, and elsewhere. Iván is Programs Manager at Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center in Los Angeles.
Genesis Perez is queer Chicana poet and performer from Oxnard, California. They are the Program and Bookstore Assistant at Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center. 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, and Stories Books and Cafe.
Rhiannon Cielos Chavez is a trans-masculine whitewashed Mexican from Los Angeles, California. He received a BFA in Creative Writing from Southern Oregon University, where he read his debut chapbook, Beer Hunter, at the 2023 Oregon Fringe Festival. His work has been published or is forthcoming in Jefferson Journal, Drifter Zine, Mobile Data Mag, Blastbones Zine, Main Squeeze, and more. Rhiannon is the Development and Operations Assistant at Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center.
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.
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This event is made possible by support from the City Lights Foundation.