Everybody knows him, and he’s a local celebrity. There are many famous people in Brentwood, but there was nobody that I wanted to interview more than a man you all know and see everyday. He has been at the corner of San Vicente Boulevard for the past 25 years.
I came out of Pharmaca the other day and was crossing over to Brentwood Presbyterian (where I used to go to preschool) and one of all of our favorite people handed me a Valentine poem.
From Wendell Brown’s outgoing personality to his incredible poetry, he is Brentwood’s much loved and very best. It struck me that even though I’ve known him for 17 years, I didn’t know anything about him. I asked him if I could interview him for this article, and this is what he said:
Wendell Brown: I spent the first 14 years of my life in Little Rock, Arkansas. My parents moved here in 1959 for a better life and they found it. My parents lived here until they died.
Bella Nalle: I’m so sorry.
Wendell Brown: Well that happens in life. (laughs) If you live, you’re gonna die. It’s just a matter of time.
Bella Nalle: How long have you lived here?
Wendell Brown: 25 years. I’ve been here 23, I spent a couple of years at the Westwood Whole Foods, and before that I worked Santa Monica Boulevard right beside the freeway.
Bella Nalle: Is this your favorite spot?
Wendell Brown: Yeah. Nicole Simpson, OJ’s wife, told me about this spot. I moved from beside the freeway to Whole Foods in Westwood, and because of the riffraff around there by the VA, I came down here. And I’ve been here ever since. I’ve done about 15 television shows, 3 documentaries, every newspaper in America, and the LA Times about 7 or 8 times.
Bella Nalle: And now the Brentwood News!
Wendell Brown: Yeah, and I’ve made every major radio station, too. Charles Kuralt used to read one of my poems every Sunday morning. One of my customers would give them to him.
Bella Nalle: Wow. When did you start writing poetry?
Wendell Brown: When I was about nine. The poetry I did didn’t make any sense, but it gave me an idea. Some people have to count. I don’t. I just put it together when I get through playing with the words… it flows.
Bella Nalle: Can you tell me about your family?
Wendell Brown: (smiling) I’m a great-grandfather. Hold on; let me go see my customer. I’ll be right back.
I waited for a few minutes as somebody bought Mr. Wendell’s latest poem. When he returned, we picked up right where we left off.
Bella Nalle: You seem to have fans everywhere!
Wendell Brown: I love them.
Bella Nalle: So, how old are your great-grandchildren?
Wendell Brown: Great-great grandbabies! I have some twins! They’re 5 months old.
Bella Nalle: Do you get to see them often?
Wendell Brown: I saw them just last week. They live in San Diego. How long have you been at the Brentwood News?
Bella Nalle: A little over a year. I can understand your love of writing; there really isn’t any other feeling that matches. I think it’s great how people old and young alike can all appreciate your poetry. I have a ton of friends, also my age, who look forward to reading your pieces.
Wendell Brown: They can understand what I’m saying! It makes sense to them.
Bella Nalle: Where do you write?
Wendell Brown: Oh, anywhere. The people here in the community type it for me. I never have any problems getting them typed. Never. I’m so happy you came by today. I used to have a problem getting them typed, but not anymore. I make my own copies.
Bella Nalle: What else do you like to do in your spare time?
Wendell Brown: Just writing. If I were to be doing anything else that I truly enjoyed, it would be writing and American Saddle Horse. I love horses. There’s something about a horse that is special; they know where they’re going. Point them in the right direction and they know.
Bella Nalle: Have you ridden recently?
Wendell Brown: No. Not in 10 years, 20 years. But I did it as a kid. We owned horses when I grew up. Horses, cows, dogs, chickens, you name it and it was there. We had a three-acre garden. Corn, potatoes, everything you could imagine. Everything you needed. We would go fishing, too. We had a smokehouse for our beef and pork… wow.
The conversation paused for a minute, but Wendell had something else profound to say.
Wendell Brown: Writing is a good thing. It’s a release. There are things that are still around… that I can get rid of at times by writing. I have Vietnam issues that are with me still, they don’t get calm and stay away, but that’s something I’ve learned to deal with.
Bella Nalle: I feel like writing for you can be therapeutic then.
Wendell Brown: Absolutely. You can let go of something painful and turn it into something else.
Bella Nalle: How often do you come out with poems?
Wendell Brown: I come out with about 3-5 every week.
He looked up at the sky and smiled.
Wendell Brown: We have the best weather in the nation. Minnesota is freezing, don’t even think about it. But it’s cool, they’re used to it and they’re warm. But we’d never be standing here, talking like this.
Wendell and I continued to talk for about 45 minutes. I’m so glad I was able to get to know him on a more personal level, and it seemed crazy to me that I didn’t know that much about a man whom I saw on my daily commute every single day. He’s charming, intelligent, and an absolutely wonderful conversationalist, and I implore everyone to get to know him if you have the chance, because it won’t be a meeting you forget.
