Meet Keith Steinbaum | Retired Landscape Professional & Author of Two Award Winning Novels

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

Hi Keith, why did you pursue a creative career?

A personal, life-changing event occurred in my mid teens that transformed me into a creative writer, and although I paid the bills through a long career in the landscape industry, in my heart I’ve always considered myself a creative writer first and foremost. It took years of piecing together reasons for occasional bouts of sadness and esteem issues to finally understand the fact that I needed to answer that calling and to do something about it.

Writing The Poe Consequence, a story originally inspired by the number of gang affiliated housing areas I worked at, was the therapy I needed that brought me back from an emotionally tough time. My second book, You Say Goodbye, originally inspired by a story in the obituary section about Alexandra Scott from the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, was the continuing byproduct of that renewed recognition of what I expect from myself.

Now I’m retired and finished with the first draft of my third book, I expect to pursue my writing as a career fulfillment centered on the heart, not on the bank account.  And with as much competition that there is in the book business, I believe it’s the best way to approach it.  If I get lucky, that will be a bonus.

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.

I was a professional song lyricist many years ago, but I only use the word ‘professional’ because although I did have songs recorded, most of them overseas, overall, I view those years as mission unaccomplished in terms of any success.  I eventually got an opportunity to work in the landscape industry, and, having just gotten married, the thought of a steady paycheck was too enticing to turn down.

The nearly thirty-five years I spent in the landscape business entailed many thousands of hours on the Southern California freeways from Los Angeles to just north of the Mexico border.  For about the first twenty-five years I’d start my days getting up at 4 a.m. in order to drive downtown and meet with the workers.  I supervised crews in various counties of Southern California.  Part of my job included landscape design work at numerous apartment complexes.  The creativity of putting a design together is the part of the job I truly enjoyed. Creative work or computer work?  A very easy question to answer.

The greatest benefit those years provided is that they toughened me up. I grew up in a very nice neighborhood in a loving, functional family without the struggle to put food on the table and clothes to wear. We all like to cheer for the underdogs in our society, and those rags to riches stories are the ones most deserving of our attention. But at least I can say that I paid my dues with the hard work I was required to do, often in poor, graffiti-strewn neighborhoods, dealing with theft and destruction of our equipment. My first novel, THE POE CONSEQUENCE, was a byproduct of those experiences. The years it took to complete that story brought me back from a man struggling with his self-esteem to one with renewed confidence in his creative abilities.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

I live in Los Angeles, a city as big and diverse as any in America, and the world. Therefore, with all there is to see and do, that actually makes the question more difficult to answer with particulars.  So without getting specific about things such as favorite restaurants, I’ll mention a few options that come to mind:

I would start, of course, with a day at the beach, then a restaurant overlooking the shore, of which there are some nice ones. Although this next idea would take my friend out of the city, a day of driving up the Pacific Coast Highway to hang out in Ventura County (one hour north) or Santa Barbara (two hours north) would be recommended.  Back in L.A., there are numerous restaurants to choose from for an enjoyable lunch or dinner, and for that I suggest something in Santa Monica (a popular beach city) or West Hollywood, a city that also has many shops to browse through.  

Venice Beach seems to be a popular attraction for out of town visitors. Interesting people, bike and walking paths make for an enjoyable day. (Full transparency – you’ll also see a lot of homeless encampments in Venice, something that is a big problem in many sections of  Los Angeles.

Museums? Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Getty Museum, The Broad Museum, Huntington Library, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, and Peterson Automotive Museum.

The original Farmer’s Market is in a large shopping/restaurant complex called, The Grove, (owned by Rick Caruso, who is running for mayor).  It’s located near a couple of these museums so that could make another fun day.

If that friend of mine wanted to see Beverly Hills, as many do, a day walking around the shops and having an outdoor lunch watching the world go by would be another suggestion.

Maybe my friend wants to go to Universal Studios, another full day as well.  

One final recommendation would be the food district downtown, where you park your car for the afternoon sample the diverse foods offered that represent various cultures of the city.

If this question is ever asked of another Angelino, you will probably get another to-do list.  For a city as large as Los Angeles, that wouldn’t be surprising.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

My wife, Danielle, has always been the main supporter of my writing, shown through things such as her patience of the many hours spent on my stories, the occasional mind drift from the here and now when I’m in her company, and her recognition of the importance I place on my writing. I’m also one of the lucky ones with a family and friends who encourage and that means a lot. (although when it comes to objectivity, much better to go find an editor than thinking someone in your family will criticize portions of your work).

The other person I’d like to send a shout-out to, despite the fact that I lost touch with her many years ago, is my creative writing teacher, Krista Michaels. The two night courses I took from her at a local university gave me the education I needed and the tough love required to delivery my best effort.  Her personal support of my abilities gave me the confidence to dream big.

Website: https://keithsteinbaum.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/keithsteinbaum

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Keith-Steinbaum-Author-886647591355288/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4FQZlmToXYXoqAHThWk6iQ

Other: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6013821.Keith_Steinbaum https://readersfavorite.com/author-area/717737 https://readersfavorite.com/author-area/371263/index https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelves/book.php?id=121506 https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelves/book.php?id=368271

Image Credits
The Poe Consequence cover design by Matt Davies You Say Goodbye cover design by Jim Avery