Rafael Castillo
Encyclopedia
Rafael C. Castillo was the first editor of ViAztlan: a journal of Chicano Arts and Letters established in San Antonio, Texas
in 1979. The journal was funded through the City of San Antonio and the culture-based arts organization, Centro Cultural de Aztlan. A veteran free-lance writer, Castillo authored articles germane to the Mexican American
community and established philosophy-based issues and supported international causes that promoted Mexican American arts and letters. He later served as contributing editor of The Saguaro,a literary journal published at the University of Arizona
, Tucson. In 1985, Castillo visited Paris, France, and met briefly with David Appelfield, editor of FRANK, an international literary journal, and became its San Antonio correspondent. In 2001, Castillo was asked to serve on the editorial board of Puentes, an international bilingual journal based at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi
.
His writings have appeared in The Arizona Quarterly, Saguaro, Frank (Paris, France), Southwestern American Literature, English Journal, College English, South Texas Studies, English in Texas, Imagine, Puentes, ViAztlan, Caracol and other international literary quarterlies. He is included in Don Graham's (2003) Lone Star Literature, an anthology of prominent Texas writers whose works have been canonized within the literary pantheon of W.W. Norton. Castillo is the author of Distant Journeys, (Bilingual Review Press
/Arizona State University) which was published in 1991. The collection was nominated for the Before Columbus Award, the Texas Institute of Letters, and the Ernest Hemingway Award. His most recent addition to the literary canon is Aurora, a collection of fiction published in 2010 by Floricanto Press of California.
In 1985, Castillo was selected as the first English faculty at Palo Alto College
and the subsequent year became its first chairperson. The college opened in 1985 and is located in the Southside of San Antonio. In 1987, Rafael Castillo was awarded the first Palo Alto College Teaching Excellence Award ($2,000/laptop) voted at-large by the Faculty Senate, and the following year, the National Council of Teachers of English awarded him the English Journal Writing Award. In 1988, Rafael Castillo inaugurated and founded the student-centered Palo Alto Review which later morphed into the broad-based academic journal, The Palo Alto Review. In 1990, Castillo was asked to serve on the Editorial Board of Publications of NCTE, the National Council of Teachers of English. Dr. Castillo is listed in Who's Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, and Poets; Men of Achievement, and Who's who among Scholars.
A graduate of St. Mary's University
(B.A.), the University of Texas at San Antonio (M.A.) and Capella University
in Minnesota (PhD), Rafael Castillo was one of the early free-lance writers whose contributions opened the door for Hispanics in mainstream journalism. He was a board member of Gemini-Ink of San Antonio, a non-profit literary arts organization and served on the San Antonio Express-News Community Board in 2004–2005. Currently, he is serving as Vice-President of Los Bexarenos Genealogical and Historical Society for 2008–2009, a Hispanic focus group. He will be serving as Director (2009–2010) for Los Bexarenos Genealogical and Historical Society in charge of programs. In 2010, Castillo was selected as one of four outstanding professors at Palo Alto College in the category of teaching excellence. In 2011, The Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education (TACHE) recently awarded him the Distinguished College Faculty Award at the 36th Annual Conference for "transforming Education" with a honorium of $1,000 and Los Bexarenos Genealogical Society recognized him at their yearly banquet for his leadership and commitment to service as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
A brief literary biography of Rafael Castillo is included in The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Ethnic American Literature (2005) and the 1986–1987 Who's Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, and Poets. Other biographical listings include Rafael Castillo in the Dictionary of Literary Biography
Volume 209, Gale Publishing, and papers listed at the University of Texas in the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection. Catalogued as SRH-1.109 by Gilda Baeza-Ortego, Mexican American Studies Librarian, the papers are used by visiting researchers, biographers, and scholars. Currently, Rafael Castillo is a tenured professor of English at Palo Alto College in San Antonio, Texas.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in 1979. The journal was funded through the City of San Antonio and the culture-based arts organization, Centro Cultural de Aztlan. A veteran free-lance writer, Castillo authored articles germane to the Mexican American
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
community and established philosophy-based issues and supported international causes that promoted Mexican American arts and letters. He later served as contributing editor of The Saguaro,a literary journal published at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, Tucson. In 1985, Castillo visited Paris, France, and met briefly with David Appelfield, editor of FRANK, an international literary journal, and became its San Antonio correspondent. In 2001, Castillo was asked to serve on the editorial board of Puentes, an international bilingual journal based at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi
Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi
Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi is a state university located in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States, on Ward Island in Oso Bay. The university is part of the Texas A&M University System...
.
His writings have appeared in The Arizona Quarterly, Saguaro, Frank (Paris, France), Southwestern American Literature, English Journal, College English, South Texas Studies, English in Texas, Imagine, Puentes, ViAztlan, Caracol and other international literary quarterlies. He is included in Don Graham's (2003) Lone Star Literature, an anthology of prominent Texas writers whose works have been canonized within the literary pantheon of W.W. Norton. Castillo is the author of Distant Journeys, (Bilingual Review Press
Bilingual Review Press
Bilingual Review Press is an American publishing house specialising in the publication of scholarly and literary works by Hispanic and Latino American authors and researchers...
/Arizona State University) which was published in 1991. The collection was nominated for the Before Columbus Award, the Texas Institute of Letters, and the Ernest Hemingway Award. His most recent addition to the literary canon is Aurora, a collection of fiction published in 2010 by Floricanto Press of California.
In 1985, Castillo was selected as the first English faculty at Palo Alto College
Palo Alto College
Palo Alto College is a community college located in the San Antonio, Texas area. It is a member of the Alamo Community College District.-History:...
and the subsequent year became its first chairperson. The college opened in 1985 and is located in the Southside of San Antonio. In 1987, Rafael Castillo was awarded the first Palo Alto College Teaching Excellence Award ($2,000/laptop) voted at-large by the Faculty Senate, and the following year, the National Council of Teachers of English awarded him the English Journal Writing Award. In 1988, Rafael Castillo inaugurated and founded the student-centered Palo Alto Review which later morphed into the broad-based academic journal, The Palo Alto Review. In 1990, Castillo was asked to serve on the Editorial Board of Publications of NCTE, the National Council of Teachers of English. Dr. Castillo is listed in Who's Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, and Poets; Men of Achievement, and Who's who among Scholars.
A graduate of St. Mary's University
St. Mary's University, Texas
St. Mary's University is a Catholic and Marianist liberal arts institution located on northwest of downtown San Antonio, Texas, United States. St. Mary’s is a nationally recognized master’s level school ranked among the top colleges in the west for best value and academic reputation by U.S. News...
(B.A.), the University of Texas at San Antonio (M.A.) and Capella University
Capella University
Capella University is a for-profit co-educational university with partial residency requirements during the course of study, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.The school is owned by the publicly traded Capella Education Company...
in Minnesota (PhD), Rafael Castillo was one of the early free-lance writers whose contributions opened the door for Hispanics in mainstream journalism. He was a board member of Gemini-Ink of San Antonio, a non-profit literary arts organization and served on the San Antonio Express-News Community Board in 2004–2005. Currently, he is serving as Vice-President of Los Bexarenos Genealogical and Historical Society for 2008–2009, a Hispanic focus group. He will be serving as Director (2009–2010) for Los Bexarenos Genealogical and Historical Society in charge of programs. In 2010, Castillo was selected as one of four outstanding professors at Palo Alto College in the category of teaching excellence. In 2011, The Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education (TACHE) recently awarded him the Distinguished College Faculty Award at the 36th Annual Conference for "transforming Education" with a honorium of $1,000 and Los Bexarenos Genealogical Society recognized him at their yearly banquet for his leadership and commitment to service as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
A brief literary biography of Rafael Castillo is included in The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Ethnic American Literature (2005) and the 1986–1987 Who's Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, and Poets. Other biographical listings include Rafael Castillo in the Dictionary of Literary Biography
Dictionary of Literary Biography
The Dictionary of Literary Biography is a specialist encyclopedia dedicated to literature. Published by Gale, the 375-volumes set covers a wide variety of literary topics, periods, and genres, with a focus on American and British literature....
Volume 209, Gale Publishing, and papers listed at the University of Texas in the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection. Catalogued as SRH-1.109 by Gilda Baeza-Ortego, Mexican American Studies Librarian, the papers are used by visiting researchers, biographers, and scholars. Currently, Rafael Castillo is a tenured professor of English at Palo Alto College in San Antonio, Texas.