Sean Carswell
Encyclopedia
Sean Michael Carswell is an America
n writer and publisher. He is the author of the novels 'Trainwreck Girl', 'Drinks for the Little Guy
and the collections Glue and Ink Rebellion and Barney's Crew. He is co-editor, along with his wife Felizon Vidad and Todd Taylor
, of Gorsky Press, an independent press operating out of Los Angeles, California
. He also serves as a contributing editor for Razorcake Magazine.
Carswell's writing frequently reflects the concerns of the working class
. His characters are often laborers. In the case of Drinks for the Little Guy, his protagonist, Chris Dunbar, is a carpenter, a job Carswell himself has had. Carswell writes of the working class without either dehumanizing or romanticizing them. His characters resist easy categorization because of their depth and complexity: one moment they are typical brawling drunks, and the next they ponder philosophically the dangers of gentrification and coastal development in small-town Florida
.
Carswell's characters have few natural advantages in life. They work hard for little gain, but find release and freedom in music, surfing, skateboarding, and drinking. They are self-aware but never whiny or pretentious.
Despite working without the advantages of a large publishing house, Carswell has become something of a cult favorite in the American underground. His books routinely sell out their first printing, and he is a popular live performer, bringing a punk-rock ethic to the traditionally staid literary reading. He travels extensively, giving readings not just on college campuses and chain bookstores, but at punk shows and in bars.
As an editor, Carswell and the team at Gorsky Press have published the work of underground favorites such as Patricia Geary
, Jim Munroe
, and Rich Mackin. The Gorsky Press collection Punch & Pie includes work from writers such as Ayn Imperato and Wred Fright.
Carswell currently also works as a lecturer in English at California State University, Channel Islands
in Camarillo, California.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n writer and publisher. He is the author of the novels 'Trainwreck Girl', 'Drinks for the Little Guy
Drinks for the Little Guy
Drinks For the Little Guy is a novel written by American writer Sean Carswell and published by Gorsky Press in 1999.The novel is themed around the working class of America. The story follows Chris Dunbar, a young carpenter from the coastal regions of Florida who disappears after he is visited by...
and the collections Glue and Ink Rebellion and Barney's Crew. He is co-editor, along with his wife Felizon Vidad and Todd Taylor
Razorcake
Razorcake is a 501 non-profit organization that publishes the Razorcake fanzine, a DIY punk rock fanzine published bi-monthly out of Los Angeles, California...
, of Gorsky Press, an independent press operating out of Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. He also serves as a contributing editor for Razorcake Magazine.
Carswell's writing frequently reflects the concerns of the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
. His characters are often laborers. In the case of Drinks for the Little Guy, his protagonist, Chris Dunbar, is a carpenter, a job Carswell himself has had. Carswell writes of the working class without either dehumanizing or romanticizing them. His characters resist easy categorization because of their depth and complexity: one moment they are typical brawling drunks, and the next they ponder philosophically the dangers of gentrification and coastal development in small-town Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Carswell's characters have few natural advantages in life. They work hard for little gain, but find release and freedom in music, surfing, skateboarding, and drinking. They are self-aware but never whiny or pretentious.
Despite working without the advantages of a large publishing house, Carswell has become something of a cult favorite in the American underground. His books routinely sell out their first printing, and he is a popular live performer, bringing a punk-rock ethic to the traditionally staid literary reading. He travels extensively, giving readings not just on college campuses and chain bookstores, but at punk shows and in bars.
As an editor, Carswell and the team at Gorsky Press have published the work of underground favorites such as Patricia Geary
Patricia Geary
Patricia Geary is an American author. After writing two borderline fantasy novels, Living in Ether and Strange Toys , the latter of which won the Philip K. Dick Award, she found it difficult to sell her third novel as she had a reputation primarily as a fantasy author , and returned to teaching...
, Jim Munroe
Jim Munroe
Jim Munroe is a Canadian science fiction author, who publishes his works independently under the imprint No Media Kings.Munroe was managing editor at the magazine Adbusters in the 1990s, before publishing his debut novel Flyboy Action Figure Comes With Gasmask in 1999...
, and Rich Mackin. The Gorsky Press collection Punch & Pie includes work from writers such as Ayn Imperato and Wred Fright.
Carswell currently also works as a lecturer in English at California State University, Channel Islands
California State University, Channel Islands
California State University Channel Islands is a four-year public university located in Camarillo, California, in Ventura County. CSUCI opened in 2002 as the 23rd campus in the California State University system, succeeding the Ventura County branch campus of CSU Northridge...
in Camarillo, California.