Meet Alexander Laurence | Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexander Laurence and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexander, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born in Los Angeles. I lived in SF, NYC, and London too. There is a maverick spirit about being from California. It was great living in other places and meeting different people, but I have a wider support system in Southern California.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Alexander Laurence was born in Los Angeles. He attended CSULB and San Francisco Art Institute. He has contributed to the books The Hipster Handbook (2004), Reefer Movie Madness (2010), Degenerative Prose (1995), and books about the history of Grove Press. He is also the author of a book of short stories: Five Fingers Make A Fist (2007). He has recently written a chapbook of poems The New Spain. He presently works as a tour manager and has traveled the world with indie bands. He is the founder of the website The Portable Infinite, and has a weekly internet radio show New Noise on Radio KAJW.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I like the area around The Grove and Farmer’s Market. There is quite a lot to do there. It is central in LA. Other than that I like The Larchmont area and Downtown LA.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am influenced by the healthy counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s. I have studied the history of Grove Press, the Beat Generation, and independent publishing and independent record labels. I guess that punk rock and Modernism were also great influences. S. E. Gontarski was a great mentor and helped me on the path that I am on now. Also a few friends that I met in Bay Area publishing and art worlds in the early 1990s were instrumental in giving me the confidence to keep being productive.

Website: http://portable-infinite.blogspot.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portable_infinite/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-laurence-4a319bb/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/portinfinite

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/portinfinite

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlexanderLaurence

Image Credits
Alexander Laurence