Meet Noam Friedlander | Writer & Genealogist

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

Hi Noam, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?

I wrote my first book when I was six. It didn’t get published but, even at that young age, I enjoyed watching my family read it and laugh. I started writing more books, some were for birthdays, and others for friends, some of them had illustrations and cartoons, and I realized the only thing I wanted to do was write. I’ve been a journalist, a best-selling author, a playwright, a columnist, an award-winning scriptwriter, and a poet. Even though I’ve pivoted away from my creative career at times, putting words on a page has always been my calling.

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.
By the time I was 29, I had already had 13 books published, had written for television, had columns in national newspapers, appeared as a pundit on TV shows, and had co-written my first-ever play with my friend Tiffany Stevenson. Then, my father died. I quickly burned out and thought I would never write again. It took years of taking on simple projects to build my confidence back up and start being creative again. I decided I needed to shake things up, so I packed up and moved to LA for a fresh start. I didn’t know anyone, but I needed a change. It was one of the bravest (and possibly) stupidest things I ever did, but it gave me a chance to work from a fresh slate and enjoy some other challenges, such as working in immigration law, putting on a one-woman show about my family, and setting up a genealogy business.

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?
LA is an incredible city and locale. At the right time of year, I would get up early in the morning and drive to the mountains and go skiing at Mountain High (one of the closest to LA), I’d leave the slopes after lunchtime, race back to LA, and go and watch the sunset over the ocean. It’s a crazy, romantic thing to do, and I highly recommend it. Continuing that adrenaline rush, I’d recommend … jumping out of a plane while attached to a flying instructor. It’s the most incredible thing to do, and you truly get to appreciate the beauty of Los Angeles. The next day, you’d need to do something relaxing as the high of the previous two days would cause you to crash! Heading down to the beach again, I’d suggest an afternoon at Lake Shrine, by the PCH. It’s even more of a miracle now as it wasn’t damaged by the recent horrific fires, though some of the nearby iconic restaurants no longer exist. Hopefully, eventually, they’ll be rebuilt, and one day, you can spend it going along the coast enjoying fresh, incredible seafood. For now, Neptune’s Net still exists and deserves a visit for its freshly grilled fish. The next day, I’d recommend going in the opposite direction, heading downtown to the Little Tokyo Market Place for snacks and food, before exploring the area for a little taste of something different in the middle of Los Angeles before finishing up the day in the Broad Museum and grabbing more food at the Grand Central Market nearby. For the final day in the city, I’d recommend hiking in Griffith Park, starting at the Observatory, before walking the ridges of the hills to reach the iconic Hollywood sign. It’s a true workout as well as another incredible way to see the city and realize it is steeped in nature.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Early on in my career, I can think of three incredible generous women, who, in a really competitive industry, were supportive and generous with their time. The first was Karen Buchanan, the first female editor of the football (soccer) magazine FourFourTwo. She encouraged me, commissioned me and accepted a number of articles for me. I still know her today and remain grateful for her early support. The second was Ruth Gledhill, the former religious correspondent of The Times newspaper in London. She gave me the chance to write my first-ever columns in a national newspaper as well as commissioning various articles from me, which were all published in The Times. Lastly, Catherine Riley, who sadly is no longer with us as she died several years ago. She worked on the sports’ desk of the Times newspaper and was a wonderful mentor to me when I worked as a sub-editor on the desk with her. She was kind, helpful, and supportive – all things that are rare in this industry. All these women were mentors and examples of generosity. The final woman who has been instrumental is my sister Michal. She has been my ‘editor’ for years, from my first published article in the Sunday Times when I was 17, through to later interviews in national newspapers.

Website: www.mygenesearch.com; www.noamfriedlander.com; www.friedlanderfilms.com; www.internationalpressgroup.com

Instagram: @Noam25

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noamfriedlander/

Twitter: @noam25

Other: https://www.instagram.com/mygenesearch