Looks like this crisis is over until 2032, at which point we’ll probably be having only virtual poetry readings.  And if we do, I want to give one in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.

For the full news, click here:

Dear All: Here’s Fred’s announcement. I want to add that the real
applause goes to ALL OF YOU who contacted the city representatives.
Your overwhelming response was the singlemost important factor in
making this happen. The victory is yours, and my thanks to you I
can’t even begin to express.–Love, Amélie

Greetings!!

Today, thanks to the visionary leadership of Councilman Bill
Rosendahl, his superb staff, and to Beyond Baroque’s vast body of
extremely vocal supporters, the LA City Council voted unanimously to
endorse renewing Beyond Baroque’s lease to its historic Venice home,
the Old City Hall, for 25 years at $1 a year.

It is absolutely wonderful news. It is victory for poetry and the
arts. It is a victory for the preservation of history, the public
realm, and the capacity for experiment. It is a rare triumph for the
love of language, the written word, books, and the precious spark
that community lends to all of us.

Councilman Rosendahl was working for us until the very last minute
this morning in City Council chambers, as the vote went through. It
was an honor to be there to see it. We are grateful to Bill’s chief
of staff, Mike Bonin, who helped craft the motion that passed this
morning (our lease would have been up tomorrow). We are grateful as
well to Rosendahl’s Southern District Director Venice/Marina
Peninsula Deputy Arturo Pina, to the Councilman’s staff that fielded
calls and emails, and to so many others in City Hall, across the
city, across the country, and across the world.

I want to thank our Steering Committee that helped assure this
wonderful outcome, led by Suzanne Thompson, with Linda Lucks, Rick
Tuttle, Beyond Baroque’s board Amelie Frank, Brooks Roddan, and
Richard Modiano, and, behind us, all of you who sent emails, letters,
made phone calls, and went out of your way to help. Those of you over
the last few weeks who contacted our Councilman and the City
Attorney, who expressed support to our officials at meetings and
gatherings, and fired up the internet deserve to know how incredibly
much you matter. It was your stepping forward that, ultimately, made
clear how important Beyond Baroque is to city government, enabling
Bill and his staff to achieve what was accomplished today.

We owe Councilman Bill Rosendahl of the 11th District, Los Angeles, a
great debt of gratitude. Please thank him and his chief of staff,
Mike Bonin for all they have done, and for all that they have now
made possible. It was they who helped us all steer the ship safely
into port.

Beyond Baroque’s home is safe until 2032. This is a moment truly
worth celebrating and remembering. Thank you, from all of us at
Beyond Baroque.

Warmly, with hope for the future,

Fred Dewey
Director and Board Chair, Beyond Baroque & Beyond Baroque Books
Venice, California

Our Councilman and his Chief of Staff Mike Bonin can be reached at
Councilman.Rosendahl@lacity.org.