East of Western: Close Ups of Charles Bukowski by Joan Ganny

Beyond Baroque is proud to present East of Western: Close Ups of Charles Bukowski by Joan Ganny, an extraordinary photography exhibition offering an intimate portrait of the legendary Los Angeles poet. Join us for an in-depth conversation to take place between Joan Ganny and poet-scholar Mike Sonksen on Bukowski’s complex persona and body of work. Additional programs throughout the run will feature public readings of Bukowski’s poems, conversations about his literary and cultural legacy, and live performances by poets working in his tradition. This landmark show marks the first U.S. exhibition of many of Ganny’s images, including both iconic and never-before-seen photographs captured during her unprecedented access to Bukowski.

About Joan Ganny

Joan Ganny makes photographs about the people she writes about. She was born in New York City, raised in Hollywood, and has been based in Amsterdam since 1987. Her mother Adele was a glamour photographer who put a camera in her hand when she was five. Her father gave her a typewriter when she was eight. Joan started her career as a broadcast and print journalist in the mid-1970s, freelancing for the LA Times, Los Angeles magazine, and Penthouse, making interviews with Henry Miller, Joan Baez, and Muhammad Ali, among many others. She also documented one of the first homeless women in southern California, which changed her life and was the stimulus for her to eventually emigrate to Europe. She is an award-winning children’s book author (Elusive Moose, Hidden Hippo; Barefoot Books), jazz and pop lyricist, and has published three chapbooks. In 2021, she was the editor and contributor to INSIDE BLACK, a book that explored the many facets of the powerful color. She recently completed a memoir, One-Way Ticket and continues using her analogue cameras to make portraits of people in their environments.

About Mike Sonksen

3rd-generation Angeleno Mike Sonksen, aka Mike the PoeT, is an acclaimed poet, professor, journalist, historian and tour guide whose work has appeared in publications like the Academy of American Poets, Alta, PBS SoCal, Poetry Foundation and Westways. Sonksen has read poetry at over 100 academic institutions, appeared on radio and television and hosted events at the Grand Performances and Getty Center. His latest book, Letters To My City is published by Writ Large Press.

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.

This is a free event, but please note seating is limited. 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.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Beyond Baroque, 681 Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States