Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center, Literary arts center in Venice, Los Angeles, United States
Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center is a literary venue in Venice, Los Angeles, housed in a former city hall building near Venice Beach. The space hosts poetry and fiction workshops, maintains a bookstore, and preserves an extensive collection of chapbooks and small press publications.
The center was founded in 1968 by George Drury Smith as a magazine publication in a Venice storefront. It gradually grew from this modest beginning into a dedicated literary and arts institution.
The center serves as a meeting place for the local literary community, where readers and writers connect around poetry, fiction, and experimental work. Its reading series creates opportunities for both established and emerging voices to be heard in the neighborhood.
The venue is located in a walkable area close to Venice Beach, making it easy to combine a visit with other local attractions. Plan to visit during weekday evenings or weekends when programs and workshops are typically held.
Exene Cervenka, frontwoman of the punk band X, worked as the center's first librarian and helped shape its literary collection. This connection reveals how the venue attracted artists from different creative fields and brought them into its growing community.
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