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“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”

Edgar Degas

Cher: Julian, your artistic talents segue from writing novels, short stories, and poetry into painting and music. In “Death of the Cool: you stated, “…there comes a time when one must let go of ‘the cool’ and just get down to freeing their minds to allow them to create to the best their abilities will allow.” And in your poem, “The Revolution begins in the bathroom mirror,” you wrote, “…and stop attaching yourself to ideology, Listen to people who think differently than you…Be open to all things. Explore, educate, learn. Live the things you believe.” How and when did this thinking process evolve for you?

Julian: I think it came from years and years of trying to discover my own voice. I have always been a big admirer of artists who did their own thing because that’s what they felt compelled to do. The ones who aren’t trying to be anything but themselves. It doesn’t take much to jump on the bandwagon and do what everyone else is doing. I never saw the point in that. The article “Death of The Cool” got misinterpreted in so many ways. I wasn’t calling for the death of the word cool—as something descriptive—but the whole notion of cool as motivation for one’s artistic pursuits. In other words, people who have a tendency to censor themselves and their true, honest impulses because they are trying to fit into some pre-conceived notion of what cool is. In the end, it’s all subjective anyway so it just becomes meaningless. In Revolution, it speaks of it more in terms of politics—something that I don’t have much of a passion for anyway. In America today, there are too many people clinging to ideology and those who do often miss the many variables that exist when it comes to certain issues. They get so wrapped up in theory that they tend to forget that actual people are involved. It always Us vs. Them or this Either/Or proposition and life is much more complex than that. I think what brought me around to this way of thinking was reading, and not only the things I agreed with, but those things I don’t necessarily agree with. It gives you a bigger picture to look at. So I guess what I’m saying with that is understand what you can and come to your own conclusions about it. Don’t use ideology as the sole means of self-identification.

Cher: Your writing is tinged with the flavors of many cultures. How did those influences come about?

Julian: I’ve always been interested in different cultures. I read a lot of history. I think in terms of writing there is a wealth of material that can be used with regard to different cultures, especially when developing characters or stories. It broadens the palate, makes things more interesting. Music too. A culture’s music can tell a lot about that culture. The world is much bigger than what’s in our own cities or neighborhoods, so there’s the potential for many interesting stories to tell. Also, being from New York City, where there are literally people from every country in the world living here, it just taps into that. To me, it just makes things more interesting. That’s why I love reading authors from around the world. You get a different perspective of the world and it opens you up to that, makes you think about it and realize that you are not the center of the universe.

Cher: Having just read and savored your latest novel, Nadería, I was struck by the complexities of each character and the impact of these complexities on other characters. What would be the primary lesson you would want readers to draw from this?

Julian: I guess it would be that things are not always so black and white; that people are very complex beings and things aren’t always what they appear to be on the surface. With regard to the characters in the novel, they’re all floundering around trying to discover some kind of meaning in their lives—always looking out there for it and never looking inward. It raises the question whether or not life has any meaning at all, in and of itself. We have to give our own meaning to it. There’s a lot going on in that book, but that’s the main thing. It touches on many different things—like obsession, identity issues, cultural themes, and religion. The idea behind it came from a quote I read with Jorge Luis Borges where he said that the closest word in Spanish for Nothingness was NaderAaa. As soon as I read that, I started formulating the idea. The word literally means Trifle, unimportanta. I loved the double meaning behind that and knew there was a story in that. The story plays off that double meaning quite a bit as the book in and of itself. What I mean by that is that it’s just a novel. It isn’t all that heavy. In the grand scheme of things, there are far more important things going on in the world. Of course, I hope people enjoy it and I want them to like it but it’s only a book. It isn’t going to change the world, you know what I mean? But if it can entertain someone, maybe make them think about the themes in it, then great.

Cher: Your paintings are sometimes stark and dramatic in their beauty, but always compelling. If I had to choose two as my favorites (and that would be difficult), they would be “In The Darkest Part Of The Soul, It’s Always 3:00 in the Morning,” and “Woman.” What inspires you most when you paint? Which one of your paintings was featured at The Holy Ghost Salon in Brooklyn?

Julian: Painting is just something I enjoy doing. I don’t really consider myself a painter as a full-fledged artist would. I was never properly trained as a painter. I just love to do it on occasion. The paintings you refer to, they were done at a time when things were very hard for me. “In The Darkest Part of the Soul, It’s Always 3:00 in the Morning” is evident of that, I think, looking back on it. It’s a sort of weird collage that gives a little insight into my mental state at the time—and to be honest I cringe when I look at it now. I’m just not in that place anymore. “A Woman” was simple experimenting. I didn’t really have a set plan for that, or for many of the paintings, really. It’s just something I like to do. I never really show them to anyone, but I do have them up on my website in the event anyone would be interested in them. But it’s not something I pursue with any degree of seriousness. The painting in the Holy Ghost Salon show was “Carnival of Maggots.” It’s an abstract painting. The title meant nothing. I just thought it would be amusing—but I suppose it was only amusing to me. Still, it was fun to be a part of that. Maybe one day, I’ll try something like that again but writing and music are my main loves.

Cher: Your musical career began when you were only sixteen and continued for many years, including playing guitar and base for Linda La Porte in her New York City club circuit. Are you still playing?

Julian: Yes. At the moment I am playing with Linda La Porte. She’s a wonderful singer/songwriter and a wonderful human being. Very talented. We’ve already recorded one CD that came out in 2007, I think, and we’re in the finishing stages of her follow up. It should be released soon. In the meantime we’ve been playing shows throughout New York. We were in a hard rock band called Bitterweed together for many years. We’ve known each other for nearly 20 years now, so working together is great. I love her songs and think she’s a very talented singer and songwriter. It’s a pleasure to make music together.

Cher: Julian, please describe the labyrinth of your own personal journey. Have you found the center yet?

Julian: Art is and always was something I immersed myself in, ever since I was a little kid. In a way, it’s been a means to discovering who I am. I think most of us are works in progress and we all have many avenues we take to find that center. Writing, music and art have always been mine. I think it opens people up to a much wider world, exposes them to different ideas, cultures, attitudes and keeps one from becoming narrow-minded. As to whether I found my center? I guess I am still working on it, though I definitely feel I am closer to it now than I was a decade ago.

*It was my distinct pleasure to interview Julian Gallo. His latest novel, Nadería, is available at Lulu.com,  Amazon.com and will soon be available at Barnes and Noble. Please visit Julian’s blog at http://www.juliangallo66.blogspot.com/

—cher