Who is Venicedude?
(Venicedude is author, photographer and artist Eric James Miller. As a resident of Venice for many years, he is inspired and in love with the many different moods of Abbot Kinney’s famous city by the sea.)
Born in the 20th century in Washington, D.C., Mr.Miller went to Macalester College in St.Paul, MN and from there lived in Greece, Berlin, Manhattan and Colorado. After years of travel and adventure, a spiritual train wreck and a broken heart eventually guided him to the Left Coast.
The television & film industry eventually mended his broken heart, but then broke it again years later. Fortunately, he met his beautiful (in more ways than one!) wife Laura and through her wisdom they escaped the pervasive snarl of L.A. in 2006. Now they happily reside in Henderson, Nevada just outside Las Vegas where “For Rent: Dangerous Paradise” is taking shape.
Their golden retriever Zazzy is enthralled by having her own backyard (and it is hers you know!) although Venice and its ever-enigmatic call still remains a constant, inspirational siren to at least one artist in the family.
BACK STORY: Already working on what would become his first novel (“The Metaphysics of Nudity“) when he moved to Venice in September 1993, Mr. Miller immediately started writing short stories set in the character soaked, wildly eclectic Venice environment. Unique to the rest of the city, including bordering beach towns like Santa Monica and Hermosa, the inspiration that came from living next to the Pacific Ocean and shoulder to shoulder with the artistic demimonde of society was intoxicating.
The short stories eventually turned into short film experiments. Why not when living and working on the doorstep of Hollywood?
Then, one night while celebrating the publication of “Metaphysics” over a succulent rosemary pork loin and several bottles of fine California red with two friends (props to Regis and Gerry!), a low-budget feature length movie idea was born. “Beach Parking” became an epic, cautionary tale of disenchanted RV dwellers living along the beach and Electric Avenue. Interviewing dozens of the denizens that passed through Venice as they wondered up and down the Pacific Coast from Baja to British Columbia to come up with the story, the inspiration and vibrant script lives on, though the film has yet to be made.
But novel writing remains Mr. Miller’s first love and in 2007 he started writing a mystery novel set in the Venice apartment building he knows best. The novel, tentatively entitled “FOR RENT: DANGEROUS PARADISE” moves from apartment unit to apartment unit in the aftermath of the sudden disappearance of one of the more popular residents. The first draft was expected to be completed by April 2008, but that date has been pushed forward due to unforeseen complications in linear thinking…
OTHER VENICEDUDES and VENICEDUDE-ETTES
(coming soon)
