Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Salomon Vertiz of Bell Gardens

We recently had the chance to connect with Salomon Vertiz and have shared our conversation below.

Salomon, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
It’s rare now but a good movie is capable of making me lose track of time. Recently, I’ve been listening to the band New Order and their first two albums in a loop. Their music triggers a meditative state for me. Recreational drug use. A really good book (any kind). I hope to find someone else completely.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Salomon Vertiz, a self-taught writer/artist from Southeast Los Angeles. I make art as a hobby, as a form of expression and exploration. My poems/short stories/essays have been published both online and print in publications such as: The Offing and Sin Cesar, a South Central Literary Journal.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Daniel Jones was a maintenance worker at The Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach and was diagnosed HIV positive. He lived with his pet dog Gladys, a Labrador-Retriever. On Thursday, April 30th, 1998, after being misled by his health insurer, Jones believed he was going to die soon and decided to take his own life alongside Gladys.

I was 12-years-old watching Animaniacs when the interruption occurred. Another boring car chase, I thought. The truck was followed around the freeways of LA for almost an hour. At 3:50pm, Jones jumps out of his truck as the vehicle catches fire with Gladys stuck inside. Jones manages to take off his burning clothes, begins gesturing to himself, a square banner he had set up earlier reading, “HMO’s are in it for the money!! Live free, love safe or die” flailing in the background, he retrieves a shotgun from the back of the flaming truck as the cameras from the helicopters are zooming in.

Jones points the barrel up to his chin and pulls the trigger. I didn’t blink. The chunks of matter spattering across the highway. Fluids streaming down the pavement in furious pink and red streaks.

A vision of Death I had never witnessed before.

The camera zoomed out.

The TV returns to its regularly scheduled programming.

But the cartoons were over.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Everyday. But here I am.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
That feelings are constructs.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope that people tell many different stories about me when I’m gone. If I’m going to have a past, I prefer multiple choice.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.saturdaynightwristblog.wordpress.com
• Instagram: @Salomon_Vertiz
• Twitter: @salomon_vertiz
• Facebook: Salomon Vertiz

Image Credits
Artist Photo by Jenny Ayon
Polaroids and Artwork by Salomon Vertiz