Steven Castle

Steven Castle is a writer, editor, and humorist who recently completed Filthy Rich Things, a savage satire on our thirst for success and wealth.

Filthy Rich Things grew out of the author’s 11 years working as an editor and editor-in-chief of Robb Report, a glossy doorstop of all things gaga for millionaires. (Cars, boats, trophy wives and more!) During his tenure, Castle gained a rare insider’s knowledge of the good life and the cutthroat luxury goods business. His years of experience with overpriced cars, boats, planes, trophy wives, watches, jewelry, exotic travel, and fine dining proves that nobody understands wretched excess like Steven Castle.

Chronicling the frou-frou for the rich and dealing with those chasing them led to many absurd situations that begged to be parodied. “I started this book in various forms while still employed at the magazine, but I could not fictionalize it then,” Castle says. “Most of the true-life incidents were much stranger, much more over-the-top than any fiction I could concoct. And I could not devote a lot of my spare time to developing that fiction, because that would have required years of expensive therapy.”

Despite the sit-com working environment, under Castle’s direction Robb Report won seven awards for editorial excellence, including those for articles addressing serious issues such as philanthropy and danger travel. The magazine also became a credible resource on luxury, and was often quoted by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and other publications.

But all excessive things must come to an end, and when the magazine was sold in 2001 Castle was given the boot (the author prefers “set free”). He has since enjoyed a fruitful freelance writing and editing career and has found some success in working from his home, where he also finds time to write novels, short stories web sites such as this.

In addition, Castle has worked as a luxury market consultant and teaches a course called The Myths of Luxury for those selling to the wealthy. He has also done readings from his work for organizations and industry groups such as wine marketers in Napa Valley, where he was voted best speaker. He has been interviewed about luxury marketing in The Los Angeles Times, Wine & Spirits magazine, and for an upcoming book on selling luxury to teens, Getting Their Girl.

In his double-life as senior editor of Electronic House and Home Electronic Ideas magazines, Castle explains complicated issues concerning home theater and other electronics in plain English. His expertise in home electronics and luxury is combined a book, Great Escapes: New Designs for Home Theaters by Theo Kalomirakis, which showcases the world’s most lavish home theaters and tells the stories behind them.

Castle has contributed to magazines including Wired, Our Place, American Way, Audio/Video Interiors, and he writes a humorous generational column for Wine X. He wrote a political satire column in newspapers for 13 years.

He is presently expanding his magazine work by writing more about alternative energy sources and green building at electronichouse.com/green.

And as if you care, he lives with his family in Central Massachusetts, where he is busy finding more time to write other novels and short stories. And perhaps do some landscaping. (It’s a nice house, but not frou-frou.)