Jack of All Trades: Luis J. Rodriguez
Melinda Palacio -- May 26, 2007
Luis J. Rodriguez has had many careers in his life. His current passion is Tia Chucha's Cafe Cultural Center, a bookstore, a small press, a hang out for students of Aztec culture, guitar, and the latino community. Rodriguez, however, is best known for his books, especially his memoir, Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A..
Rodriguez is a multitasker at heart. "I end up shifting gears a lot," says Rodriguez who writes two to three hours in the early morning and reads ten books at a time. His latest reading interest is Science. He highly recommends The Elegant Universe. "Since is getting poetic and mystical. He is currently working on 7-8 book projects, including his third Children's book, a new book of poems, a novel, a screenplay of Always Running, a second memoir, and a long essay on imaginging a borderless world. He realizes his habits are erratic, but they work for him. "I'm my own worse boss," says Rodriguez, "but you have to have discipline and schedule.
How does Rodriguez work in different genres?
He follows the story.
"Sometimes poems become stories. I have to be open to where it might go. It's important to follow where the story is going. In Music of the Mills, I couldn't find the thread of the story. I kept writing in her voice and her story emerged in an organic way. The exciting part is trying to understand 'why.' I want to know the character's choices."
Although Rodriguez writes in different genre, his passion lies in poetry. "My poems are very accessible, although sometimes I'm interested in how language can dance." Rodriguez doesn't care that there's no money in poetry or that his poetry has a more limited audience than his memoir or novels. His goal is to achieve clarity in his poems.
"Poetry has to be worked at. I spend time with a poem and read images over and over again. There are poems that wrack my brain. I love working poetry more than anything."
For all the notoreity Always Running has received, including 300, 000 sold copies, the book remains on Texas' 100 most censured books. Rodriguez was born in Texas, but has closer ties to East L.A. and Chicago.
Luis J. Rodriguez in New Orleans, post Katrina
Being a successful writer also means wading through a heavy touring schedule. Rodriguez spent a week last November in New Orleans at the Words and Music Festival. Last week he returned from being interviewed in Japan by Teruyuki Matsushima, the editor of Lowrider Magazine in Japan. Rodriguez has a strong following in Japan. He also met Shuzo Saito, an English Professor who specializes in Chicano Writers, Ray Sandoval, a Chicano/Japanese guitarist, originally from Tucson, who has been studying in Japan, Editor Oki Kiyota of Subaru Magazine, Japan's leading literary magazine that will publish a translation of Rodriguez's short story "Chicas Chuecas" from The Republic of East L.A.
Rodriguez is happy to report the Chicano-Japan connection includes Chicano music, L.A.-style car shows, and Cholo-style stores, and excellent Mexican restaurants (of which Rodriguez is an expert). Que Viva la Raza!
His biggest advice to aspiring writers is "Don't give up," "Get your name out there," and "If you land an interview on Oprah, don't walk out like I did." He told the story of how he committed a huge faux pas by walking out of the Oprah show, after he had finished his short segment, in the interest of keeping his next appointment with another interview. He learned his lesson and said that Oprah's people accepted his apology.
Visit Tia Chucha's Cafe Cultural Center at 10258 Foothill Blvd, Lake View Terrace, CA 91342, 818.896-1479.