Sebastian Castillo
Sebastian Castillo | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Citizenship | Venezuela, United States |
| Education | Temple University (MFA), Manhattan College (BA) |
| Occupations | |
| Employer(s) | Temple University, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania |
| Website | https://sebastian-castillo.com/ |
Sebastian Castillo is a writer and teacher born in Caracas, Venezuela and currently based in Philadelphia, PA.[1][2] His 2025 novel Fresh, Green Life was the 2025 Los Angeles Review of Books Summer Book Club Pick.[3][4][5]
Early life and education
[edit]Castillo was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He grew up in Mount Vernon, New York, and later moved to Philadelphia.[6]
He studied English and Philosophy as an undergraduate at Manhattan College[7] and then earned a MFA in Fiction from Temple University.[8] He now teaches, or has taught at, Temple University, the University of Pennsylvania, University of the Arts, and Moore College of Art and Design.
Career
[edit]Sebastian Castillo has written for publications such as Electric Literature,[9] JOYLAND,[10] the New York Tyrant,[11] and The New York Times.[12][13] He was shortlisted for BOMB's Fiction Contest.[14] Castillo's work has been described as autofictional and surrealist.[15][16][17]
In The Oxonian Review, Marie Ungar describes Fresh, Green Life as a "parody of and love letter to academic life" grappling with the "worth of writing and thinking" given economic alienation and existential absurdity.[18]
In 2025, his first book, 49 Venezuelan Novels, was translated into Spanish by the Mexican writer Elisa Díaz Castelo, for La barba metafísica.[19][20]
Works
[edit]- 49 Venezuelan Novels. Bottlecap Press, 2017.
- Not I. Word West, 2020.
- SALMON. Shabby Doll House, 2023.
- The Zoo of Thinking. Smooth Friend, 2024.
- Fresh, Green Life. Soft Skull, 2025.
References
[edit]- ↑ "Sebastian Castillo". Poets & Writers. July 9, 2025. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ↑ "Review | The narrator of this novel is trained in — and ruined by — philosophy". The Washington Post. July 26, 2025. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ↑ "'Fresh, Green Life' by Sebastian Castillo". Los Angeles Review of Books. May 28, 2025. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ↑ Alpern, Emma; Vojdani, Jasmine (June 2, 2025). "8 New Books You Should Read This June". Vulture. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ↑ "Sebastian Castillo's Book Notes music playlist for his novel Fresh, Green Life". largeheartedboy.com. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ↑ "Fresh, Green Life: A Novel | WORD". wordbookstores.com. 2025-06-24. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
- ↑ "Manhattan University Celebrates Distinguished Alumnus and Acclaimed Novelist Sebastian Castillo '11 | Manhattan University". manhattan.edu. 2025-11-19. Retrieved 2026-05-28.
- ↑ "Manhattan University Celebrates Distinguished Alumnus and Acclaimed Novelist Sebastian Castillo '11". Manhattan University. Manhattan University. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- ↑ "Hecho En Venezuela: The Private Poetics of Narrative, Memory, and Lies". Electric Literature. May 17, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ↑ "SALMON". JOYLAND PUBLISHING. April 28, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ↑ "Local Favorite by Sebastian Castillo". NY Tyrant. August 24, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ↑ "The Secret to Getting Through Big, Dense, Difficult Books". 2025-11-18. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
- ↑ Castillo, Sebastian (2025-11-18). "The Secret to Getting Through Big, Dense, Difficult Books". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-05-28.
- ↑ "Interview with Sebastian Castillo". The Journal. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ↑ Sovinski, Theodore (July 31, 2025). "Vow of Silence: On Sebastian Castillo's 'Fresh, Green Life'". Cleveland Review of Books. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ↑ "Sebastian Castillo's "Fresh, Green Life"". Los Angeles Review of Books. July 25, 2025. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ↑ Wayne, Teddy (June 10, 2025). "Lit Hub Asks: 5 Authors, 7 Questions, No Wrong Answers". Literary Hub. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ↑ "Nothing Impossible Happens". The Oxonian Review. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ↑ "Recommended Books: November 2025". Vol. 1 Brooklyn. 2025-11-13. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
- ↑ Bradley, Danielle (2026-01-27). "Sebastian Castillo's 49 Venezuelan Novels | The Brooklyn Rail". brooklynrail.org. Retrieved 2026-05-28.