Twenty-three-year-old L.A. native Daniel Cruz is standing on the precipice of change. He is at the end of his academic career at Los Angeles City College and preparing to transfer to a 4-year institution this fall. He's been accepted to both the journalism program at Cal State Long Beach and the communications program at Cal State L.A, but is unsure of which school he will ultimately choose. He knows both programs are excellent, but is still nervous.
It’s interesting to hear this bright young man speak with any trepidation, as he is so self-assured in every other area of his life. Our interview bounces back and forth and Daniel doesn’t miss a beat. Does he mind living at home with his two younger brothers, Marvin, 21, Jason, 19, and his mother? No, besides the noise, the full house is not difficult to live in. “I love the fact that I get to be with my family,” he says and recalls how much it meant to him to see his mother cry when his acceptance letters came in the mail. What about music? He confidently lists his ‘likes,’ including everything from The Strokes to Jazz. His iPod is even engraved with the phrase, “Mr. Jukebox.” Who would he interview given the choice? Hands down, Shakespeare—“The King of the English Language.” And the question he’d pose? “How does it feel to know you have shaped so many lives?”
Both Mexican and Puerto Rican, Daniel’s first language is Spanish, but he loves English. “I’ve always been verbal,” he explains, “I love how words are put together to create an atmosphere.” It’s this love that has inspired him to devote his life to the study and proliferation of writing. Once he graduates, Daniel’s dream is to own his own multi-genre publishing house in Los Angeles and, as he says, “have a space where writers can create and grow.”
Despite an arduous battle that lies ahead for any entrepreneur—especially one going into the literary business--the challenges of publishing on paper don’t seem to faze Daniel, who understands that print is not as profitable as online platforms, which are easier and greener for readers. “I’m old school,” he declares, “and I think the demise of print is sad. There is nothing as pure and real as grabbing a paper and getting your sweaty fingerprints full of ink.” Of course, while he respects tradition, he is still a product of his generation. He claims to read the Los Angeles Times daily—just via an application on his Blackberry.
The choice for Daniel to stay in Los Angeles for both school and his future endeavors may seem obvious, but there is purpose behind that too. Daniel sees something particularly special about his hometown. “I love LA, because you can come from nothing and become everything you always wanted to,” he says, though his quest to be an indie publisher stems from his experience watching budding writers struggle. “There’s a lot of indie talent [in Los Angeles], but because they don’t have Master degrees or Doctorates, they get shut down.” A writer himself, Daniel’s own talent may take a backburner to his publishing goals. “I’m my biggest critic,” he says with a grin, “but I want to help others find their own voice.”
-- Heather Robertson
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