SEVASTI IYAMA

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Sevasti Iyama was born Sevasti Zographos in Bronx, New York. She attended the Bronx High School of Science and was the literary editor of the school’s creative writing magazine, Dynamo. She has had a passion for writing since she was very young, and actually wrote her first novel, In Search of Hug when she was 16. Although agents and publishers rejected the novel, she receive constructive criticism and encouragement. She studied writing and acting as an undergrad at Syracuse, and later at NYU. She dropped out of NYU (to the horror of her parents) even though she was a honors student and just six months short of her BFA. At NYU, she took a graduate master's class with the playwright Terrence McNally. After her play Strawberry Fields Forgotten was produced off-off Broadway at the New Vic Theatre, she decided to pursue acting and went to Los Angeles (adding more horror to her parents’ lives). (She also rewrote Strawberry Fields Forgotten into a book, but alas, quite a few agents rejected it, even though they, like McNally, told her to keep writing).

After many reincarnations, including that as a working photographer, B-movie actress, Hollywood Hills housewife/divorcee, equestrian and animal activist, she is back to her writing. Iyama has worked as a reporter/editorial assistant for the Antelope Valley Press, and as freelance writer for Rehab Reviews, Cycles of Change Recovery Services and The Kern Valley Sun. She is the co-author of How I Got Sober: 10 Alcoholics and Addicts Tell Their Personal Story.  The short story, The Holy Face Medal  was published in the September issue of Adelaide Magazine.  The short story, A Winter Coat will be published in the January Issue of Adelaide. She is compiling a short story book. After she finishes her short story collection, she will complete the novel,  From Bel Air to Welfare,  which is about a zany Bel Air Housewife, Thera, who gets dumped by her rich trust fund husband, because she walked out on a scheduled rhinoplasty.

She received her Bachelor’s degree in general studies with a concentration in English/creative writing from Southern New Hampshire University in December 2016 and  is working towards her Master's in creative writing  at SNHU.

The works of Sylvia Plath, Elizabeth Wurtzel, Tom Wolfe, Nikos Kazantzakis, Lorraine Hansberry, Kate Chopin and Virginia Woolf have been major influences in her life. Lately, she is reading Infinite Jest, by her all-time favorite author, David Foster Wallace, who is another huge influence. 

 Her favorite photographer is Diane Arbus. 

Her favorite genre of music is grunge because when she first moved to LA from NYC,  Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and Nirvana kept her going in a city that reminded her of a huge shopping mall.

She has a wonderful son, named Jason, who resides in Los Angeles. Presently, he is studying music at Berklee in Boston.  At the moment, she lives in a weird town called Lake Isabella,  in Kern Country, California, with her four pitties, chihuahua/dachschund mix and chi mix.