Charles Harper Webb & Ron Koertge

Join us for an afternoon of book celebrations with Charles Harper Webb and Ron Koertge at Beyond Baroque. Webb's newest collections include a collection of prose poems, The Elephant of Surprise (Moon Tide Press) and Old Gnu (Winner of the Editor's Choice Prize at Longleaf Press). Koertge's Pandora's Kitchen (Red Hen Press) creates brilliant mashups of ancient and contemporary human frailties, from Persephone's unhappiness to Jane Austen at the mall.

Reception and book signings will follow.

Doors Open: 1:30 PM I Readings: 2:00 PM

About the authors

Called by Lifescape “Southern California’s most inventive and accessible poet,” Charles Harper Webb has published numerous books of poetry with University of Pittsburgh Press, University of Wisconsin Press, and others. His book of craft essays, A Million MFAs Are Not Enough, was published by Red Hen Press, which also published his novel Ursula Lake. Webb's awards in poetry include the Morse Prize, the Kate Tufts Discovery Award, the Felix Pollock Prize, the Benjamin Saltman Prize, and the Editor’s Choice Award from Longleaf Press. His poems have appeared in many distinguished journals and anthologies, including American Poetry Review, Paris Review, Iowa Review, Yale Review, Harvard Review, Poetry, Ploughshares, Tin House, Poets of the New Century, Best American Poetry, and The Pushcart Prize. A former professional rock musician and psychotherapist, he is the editor of Stand Up Poetry: An Expanded Anthology, and recipient of a Whiting Writer's Award, and a fellowship from the Guggenheim foundation. He is professor emeritus of English at California State University, Long Beach.

Ron Koertge is the current poet laureate of South Pasadena, CA. Widely published and anthologized, Billy Collins calls him"a poet who journeys deep into the imagination’s outer limits.” He is also very funny.

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 Beyond Baroque’s YouTube channel 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.