Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with GenXCore of West Hollywood

GenXCore shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

GenXCore, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Currently I am being called to get out into the public and promote my new novel “California Roadkill 2: The In Between” which was recently released by LA based publisher Mystic Boxing Commission. Promotion, and or self-promotion, has never been something I’ve ever found any level of comfort with; it just sucks and to me often feels like pandering. This is NOT the way to look at it, mind you, it’s just some old punk rock conditioning, the kind that desperately fears ever being thought of as that penultimate of all dirty words: a sellout.

It is a mindset that I am very much trying to outgrow!

The reality is I want these characters in the novel to find life outside of my own four walls. They came to me, from God knows where, and asked me (not necessarily politely) to tell their story. And I did! I spent an unmentionable amount of time trying to understand them, wants and needs, flesh out who they really are and why they need to be heard (or read).

What I need to do is get out of self-limiting beliefs (ego) and put it out there. So that’s what I’m going to do!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
As a third generation southern Californian, and single father of two, I am the author of the critically acclaimed novel California Roadkill, as well as the recently published follow up “California Roadkill 2: The In Between.” Prior to, I was a high school dropout who in his 40s earned a Bachelor’s and Master in Fine Arts degree from California State University, Long Beach. It was a rewarding if difficult experience. It proved to me that I am capable of more than the self-limiting part of me would like to believe. I currently live in West Hollywood and, ever since I was a child, have had a somewhat strained love affair with the City of Angels. The geography and weather, the old architecture in certain spots of the city, the lore, all sparked a sense of wonder that remain with me to this day. I suspect that were I to leave the city, my future novels and characters would still find themselves at some point back in Los Angeles. It’s a bit of a magnet, has that kind of energy.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
Novelist Hubert Selby, Jr. (Requiem for a Dream, Last Exit to Brooklyn) most certainly saw me before I could see myself. We had been introduced by some mutual musician friends in the 90s. I was a late bloomer, artistically speaking, and felt very insecure about embarking on the path of an artist so late in life (my mid 20s lol); especially in a town that prizes accomplishment, the very antithesis of art.

I recall the literary organization Beyond Baroque held an honorary event to celebrate Selby’s contributions to the community, and he asked me if I would like to be one of his chosen guest performers. Mind you, I was just getting started and not very good, not really. He had to have known it. All these years later, I think he saw something in me and thought somewhere down the line I would need to remember (he passed in 2004) his show of support to keep me going in the inevitable lean years.

He was right! We need support from certain people at certain junctures to keep us going. I do my best to pass it on.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes. Daily. Full stop.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
The adage of ‘”Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy?” comes to mind. I’m old enough now to know I don’t always get both. Compromise never feels good in the moment, but its positive effects are much more lasting.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I am most certainly doing what I was born to do; the challenge is it took decades to figure out. There are no shortcuts, certainly not in art, and probably not in anything else either.

Takes what it takes. All part of the ride.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://genxcore.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genxcore/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GenXCore0/

Image Credits
None applicable