Life & Work with Pasha Adam of West Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Pasha Adam

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
That’s a loaded question. I guess I’ve always understood the world through storytelling—probably because, as an only child living in England, I grew up watching a lot of US television and movies. This led to the urge to write, which led to my grandfather taking me to a screenwriting expo in LA when I was 15, which led to my parasocial relationship with LA—and my parasocial relationship with writing.

I’ve always been drawn to stories about extreme personalities navigating noirish/surreal/farcical situations. It wasn’t until I spent significant time in LA that I understood how to authentically bring those sensibilities into my writing.

Flashforward more years than I care to think about, and I now have four published novels, two upcoming novels, and am collaborating on a handful of multimedia projects.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Pursuing anything creative has challenges, but the trick is to make it look easy. Enjoy the process, balance creating for yourself as much as for an audience, and learn how to navigate the ups and downs of the business side. It’s easier to give this advice than follow it.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a novelist and author of four novels so far: American Asshole, Keep Santa Monica Clean, City of Angels, and A Los Angeles Love Story. My fifth novel will be coming out later this year.

While my novels all share a similar setting, they’re inspired by different genres. American Asshole is a satire, Keep Santa Monica Clean is a neo-noir mystery, City of Angels is psychological horror, and A Los Angeles Love Story is a bloody, coke-fueled take on a rom-com.

I’m proud of all the novels, and I had a very personal reason for writing all of them. That said, A Los Angeles Love Story is the pure heroin version of my voice and the most fun I’ve had writing. I really took my time writing that one because I was having so much fun with those characters.

In terms of what sets me apart from others… Anyone who writes feels like they have something to say. So, I just try to lean into what I want to communicate and the things that interest me while making sure I’m pushing myself creatively with every project.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
There are a couple of things about LA I’ve always loved–neither of which are especially original but…

First, everyone is trying to achieve something. I don’t even mean creatively or to do with the entertainment industry, but everyone I’ve met in LA is very driven–and that’s a motivating atmosphere to be immersed in.

In terms of the city itself, I love that every area in LA is uniquely specific. Very different vibes, subcultures, and reference points. It lends itself to a lot of jokes and a lot of stories–hence the four novels.

The other amusing thing about LA is how small it is. You can bounce around different bars seven nights in a row, and you will, without fail, run into the same people. There was one week when I saw a guy with a cowboy hat in Bungalow in Santa Monica. The next day, I saw him in Jumbo’s Clown Room. A few days after that, I saw him in Laurel Hardware. He wore the same hat everywhere he went. Almost definitely wouldn’t have recognized him if he didn’t.

Waymo has also been a game-changer.

One thing I dislike is how a lot of bars either close early or don’t open at all on Mondays and Tuesdays, post-COVID. Really inconvenient.

I also don’t love the early-morning leafblowers. I’m nocturnal. It wakes me up. Not great.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pashaadam.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepashaadam/