The Beyond Gala: Celebrating 56 Years of Beyond Baroque

Since 1968, Beyond Baroque has nurtured generations of poets, writers, and artists. Join us in person or virtually on Saturday, November 2, in support of our ongoing legacy. We'll honor some of the people whose talent and generosity have helped build Beyond Baroque and the wider community over decades. Enjoy cocktails, a silent auction, dinner, our awards program, and entertainment including an on-stage interview and a live, acoustic performance by Exene Cervenka & John Doe of X!

We’re looking forward to hosting you as we present awards to Sesshu Foster, Douglas Messerli, Ashaki M. Jackson, Exene Cervenka, and John Doe and celebrate the literary arts of Southern California.

About the Honorees

George Drury Smith Award

Sesshu Foster - Poet, Novelist

Sesshu Foster, one of the most significant “poets of place” of our time, rooted in East Los Angeles, will receive the George Drury Smith Award for an astonishing body of work, including City Terrace Field Manual, World Ball Notebook, and City of the Future.

Distinguished Service Award

Ashaki M. Jackson - Writer; Publisher, The Offing; Cofounder, Women Who Submit
Douglas Messerli - Writer; Founder & Publisher, Green Integer Books, Sun & Moon Press

Ashaki M. Jackson and Douglas Messerli will each receive a Distinguished Service Award for their extraordinary contributions to the Los Angeles literary community. Jackson, a major force in promoting writers of color, co-founded L.A. literary nonprofit Women Who Submit and is the publisher of The Offing magazine. Douglas Messerli, a leader of the avant garde in world literature over the last 40 years, is the founder and publisher of Green Integer Books and Sun & Moon Press.

Special Recognition Award

Exene Cervenka & John Doe - Poets; Cofounders of the band X

Exene Cervenka & John Doe, currently on tour in support of X the band’s final studio album, Smoke & Fiction, will each receive a Special Recognition Award for their impact on poetry and music. This recognition marks a coming-home moment for both Cervenka and Doe, who first met in Beyond Baroque's renowned Wednesday Night Poetry Workshop before cofounding the seminal Los Angeles rock band.

Our Featured Guests

UnCabaret's Beth Lapides, "the godmother of alternative comedy," is joining us as MC! Los Angeles Magazine Senior Editor Lina Lecaro will host Los Angeles Magazine Presents: Storytellers Studio, a special Q&A with Exene Cervenka & John Doe.

About the MC

Beth Lapides is best known as the host and producer of the legendary and long running UnCabaret. She has shepherded UnCabaret through projects with Comedy Central, Amazon, HBO’s Comedy Art Festival, The Skirball Center, Just for Laughs, and many more. Los Angeles Times calls her the “godmother of alternative comedy.” Variety called her audiobook, So You Need to Decide, “a potentially life-changing treasure.” She's currently touring her new solo show, It’s A Lot.

About the Host

Lina Lecaro is a Senior Editor at Los Angeles Magazine. She is the former Culture & Entertainment Editor at LA Weekly and has written for The Village Voice, Playboy, Billboard, Variety, Vice, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and Rolling Stone, to name a few. She has written two books, Los Angeles’ Best Dive Bars and Never Mind the Rules. Over the last six years, she has won 10 awards from L.A. Press Club, including “Journalist of the Year," "Film Criticism," “Culture Features," & "Personality Profiles."

The evening will include:

Cocktail Reception

Our cocktail hour will welcome you to our evening of impact with delicious passed appetizers and cocktails, courtesy of NEFT Vodka and Gingeritas®, scotch tastings of The Glenlivet 18, and a selection of wines from Tanaro River Imports.

Silent Auction

Our Silent Auction, featuring contemporary art, exclusive packages, and other exciting items, is now online, with work from more than 40 artists, including Sam Francis, Jose Lozano, Francesca Gabbiani, Peter Alexander, and Sandeep Mukherjee. The auction also includes items and experiences donated from the literary, business, and entertainment communities, including a Writing Workshop with Samantha Dunn, 5-star Big Bear 2-Night Getaway, Malibu Wines Hike, and Woodshed Recording Studio Session. All proceeds benefit Beyond Baroque’s ongoing mission of supporting poets, writers, and artists.

Bidding begins online and in person at the gala at 6PM, on Saturday, November 2, and will end at 10 PM when the gala closes.

Awards Dinner & Entertainment

Guests will enjoy an exceptional Día de los Muertos menu curated by Chef Michelle Lainez of Chef Michelle & Company. Entertainment highlights include DJ Edie spinning vinyl and a custom typewriter poetry station with Linda Ravenswood & Brian Sonia Wallace. The awards program, MC’d by UnCabaret’s Beth Lapides, also features Los Angeles Magazine Presents: Storytellers Studio with Exene Cervenka & John Doe with Lina Lecaro and a finale performance by John & Exene!

Step Inside Our Pop-Up Bookstore!

For one evening only, The Beyond Gala welcomes you into our pop-up bookstore featuring rare titles from our own, famed Scott Wannberg Bookstore in Venice Beach, curated by our own Beyond Baroque staff, as well as works from our 2024 honorees. Need to stock up on stocking stuffers for the holidays? We'll also have our Beyond Baroque merchandise!

Día de los Muertos Is This Saturday!

This Saturday uniquely coincides with Day of the Dead or Día de los Muertos. We’ll be celebrating our community’s ancestors—those close to Beyond Baroque and loved ones we’ve lost. We invite guests to join in celebrating by bringing a small, framed photo of a loved one or literary hero to honor on the Poets & Community Altar. We’re sure they’ll enjoy the night as much as you! The altar will be near the entrance, where you can drop off a photo and take it home after the gala.

Help Us Reach Our Goal!

Gala Goal

Help us meet our goal of raising a historic $156,000 in honor of Beyond Baroque's 56th anniversary! Please ask us about opportunities to support our fundraising, including donations and sponsorships.

Buy Tickets

Purchase tickets and tables for The Beyond Gala at the Tickets & Donate! button at the top of this site. You can also purchase Virtual Tickets to attend the gala via livestream and enjoy the evening anywhere!

NOTE: You are not required to give a tip to Givebutter. If you do not wish to give a tip to Givebutter, at the point of payment, where you are given the option to "Add a tip to support Givebutter," simply select "Other." The tip amount will automatically go to $0 and you can proceed with completing your payment.

Sponsorships

Special thanks to our sponsors, including: Antioch University MFA in Creative Writing, BookSwell, CalPrivate Bank, Consciously Studio, Teresa Mei Chuc, Susan Hayden + Steve Hochman, Gingeritas® with Elixir G Ginger Mix, Jeffrey Graham, Groundwork Coffee, Los Angeles Magazine, Library Girl, NEFT Vodka, Poetry.LA, Tanaro River Imports, The Robert Lemelson Foundation, The SoCal Sound, Transformation Arts, The Wheeler Foundation, Venice Japanese American Memorial Monument, and Venice Institute of Contemporary Art. We're grateful for your generous support!

To support the gala as a Sponsor, view our Spons orship Tiers or purchase a Sponsorship at the Tickets & Donate! button.

We look forward to seeing you at The Beyond Gala!

The Beyond Gala

Saturday, November 2, 2024

6 PM | Cocktails, Silent Auction

7 PM | Awards, Dinner, Performances

Playa Studios, 11260 Playa Court, Culver City

Take a look back at last year's 55th anniversary gala!

Francesca Gabbiani, Moody Scape 3