Podcast Summary: Who Was H. G. Carrillo? D. T. Max on a Novelist Whose Fictions Went Too Far

Podcast: The New Yorker Radio Hour
Date: March 28, 2023
Host: David Remnick
Reporter/Guest: D. T. Max
Main Theme: The life, literary legacy, and secret identity of acclaimed novelist H. G. Carrillo—who, after his death, was revealed to have fabricated his Latino, Cuban immigrant identity.

Overview

This episode delves into the astonishing posthumous revelations about H. G. Carrillo, a celebrated novelist and teacher who spent decades living and writing under an entirely invented Cuban immigrant identity—when he was in fact born Herman Glenn Carroll, an African American from Detroit. D. T. Max, staff writer at The New Yorker, investigates why and how Carrillo crafted this persona, the impact of his deception on family, friends, students, and the literary community, and the enduring value and controversy of his work.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Carrillo’s Life and Literary Impact

• Carrillo’s Reputation & Work
  • Known as a "writer’s writer," Carrillo published his acclaimed novel Loosing My Spanish in his mid-40s.
  • The novel, about a Cuban high school teacher in Chicago, was praised by the Latino literary community, notably by Junot Díaz:

    "His lyricism was pitch perfect and his compassion limitless." (04:01)

• As a Teacher and Mentor
  • Carrillo taught Latin American literature at George Washington University, firing up students and serving as a role model for young Latino writers.
  • Professor Elena Maria Viramontes recalls he inspired students to emulate his style and presence on campus:

    "There was a group of students... who dressed like he did... I thought it was the cutest thing." (05:33)

2. Revelations After Carrillo’s Death

• Carrillo’s Passing and Obituaries
  • Carrillo died in April 2020, an early Covid victim.
  • Obituaries repeated his own narrative: a child refugee from Cuba, prodigy pianist, Latino literary voice—a narrative he had crafted.
• The Family’s Response
  • His husband, Dennis Van Engelsdorp, only learned the truth after death, when Carrillo’s sister Susan responded to the obituary:

    "Oh, I see that Ache was as good a storyteller in his fiction as he was about his real life." (07:32)

  • Susan and the rest of the family were stunned at how his invented Cuban biography had been accepted and spread without scrutiny.

3. The Fabrications and Their Roots

• Childhood and Identity
  • Carrillo grew up in Detroit, the son of African American teachers, in a loving, culturally grounded home.
  • As a child, he was imaginative—Susan shares:

    "There was the time that he came up with this fake name in school. He insisted that all the teachers and students call him by that name..." (10:31)

• Why Abandon His Background?
  • Susan states he “had no shame in being a black man,” but suggests he was seeking something "more":

    "Apparently not. He wanted to be a black man from Cuba with an African who knows?" (12:43)

• Adoption of Cuban/Latino Persona
  • Carrillo's stories gradually grew more elaborate: tales of fathering a child in France, adopting a violin prodigy, and ultimately, his foundational story of Cuban birth.
  • At DePaul University, surrounded by a Latin cultural revival (the "Buena Vista Social Club era"), he leaned into his new identity—eventually applying to Cornell highlighting his “Latin background”:

    "Everything about him now bespeaks a certain kind of Cubanness... the language... the cultural references… even the way he dressed." (13:56-16:00)

4. The Fiction Unravels

• Maintaining the Deception
  • Carrillo’s legal name changed to H. G. Carrillo by 2003.
  • At family gatherings, calling him “Tio Ache” was just an eccentricity—until the obituaries made the lies public, prompting his niece Jessica to respond:

    "When I read the article, and I'm like, this is complete lie. Like, not even close." (21:18)

  • Jessica publicly corrected the record on the Washington Post obituary:

    "I'm Ache Carrillo's niece. He was born Herman Glencarroll, and we called him Glenn... I cannot correct all the lies in this article." (21:59)

• Reactions from Family and Others
  • Family: Saw the persona as part of Glenn’s lifelong performance, were more bemused than angry, but blamed institutions and journalists for not fact-checking (23:45).
  • Ex-partners: Confused, even hurt; wondering how much of Carrillo’s life was real.
  • Students: Felt betrayed, as many viewed Carrillo as an authentic voice guiding them in their own search for Latino identity.

5. Reflecting on Performance, Identity, and Authenticity

• Carrillo’s Husband’s Perspective
  • Van Engelsdorp frames Carrillo’s reinvention as a form of performance, not malice:

    "Anyone who ever met him as Ache... there was nothing that was him being the best person he could be. And I think that's a great thing and I'm proud of him for doing it." (25:13)

  • On cultural construction:

    "There's no such thing biologically as race... If it's cultural, then it's performance." (26:34)

• Reactions from the Literary World
  • Many Latino writers felt Carrillo’s “performance” was damaging, distorting and perhaps mocking authentic histories and struggles.
• Helena Maria Viramontes’ Take
  • She continues to admire his literary work, regardless of his true biography:

    "I still look at the lushness, the playfulness... I think he has captured a certain authenticity of... consciousness and a sensibility that is real." (27:48)

  • On authorship and appropriation:

    "When you're talking about appropriation... these are, I think, more questions that we need to examine in greater light… If I believed that I was appropriating, I wouldn't pick up another. I wouldn't write. I would refuse to write." (28:39)

• Ethical & Institutional Questions
  • DT Max raises issues around opportunity, representation, and accountability—Carrillo took jobs and positions meant for voices from the community he claimed as his own (29:23).

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Carrillo’s literary power:

  "Junot Diaz called Aceh's talent formidable. And he said that his lyricism was pitch perfect and his compassion limitless." (04:01)

• On the reasons for reinvention:

  "He wanted to be a black man from Cuba with an African who knows?" — Susan, his sister (12:43)

• Family’s reaction to the obituary:

  "Oh, I see that Ache was as good a storyteller in his fiction as he was about his real life. Or something to that effect." — Susan (07:32)

• On cultural performance:

  "There's no such thing biologically as race... If it's cultural, then it's performance." — Dennis Van Engelsdorp (26:34)

• On the enduring value of the work:

  "If you want to know Ache, I mean, if you really want to know Ache, look for him in his writing... the writing... is real." — Helena Maria Viramontes (30:57)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–04:01: Introduction to H. G. Carrillo’s literary career and persona
• 05:33: Carrillo’s influence on students — "There was a group of students, I would say about eight of them, who dressed like he did..."
• 07:32–09:00: Family reacts to obituary — hints at fabrication
• 10:31–12:43: Sister reflects on Carrillo’s childhood and identity
• 13:56–17:52: The evolution of Carrillo’s invented persona; reactions from teachers and peers at Cornell
• 19:38–21:59: The lies are revealed by his niece — public correction
• 23:45–25:13: Family, students, and the community process the deception
• 26:03–26:53: Dennis Van Engelsdorp discusses Carrillo’s view of culture and performance
• 27:48–29:23: Viramontes on literature, authenticity, and appropriation
• 30:57–31:44: Final reflections on literary legacy and complicated love

Conclusion

This episode critically examines not just the facts of Carrillo’s double life, but also the broader questions it raises: What constitutes authentic identity? Who gets to speak for (and benefit from) marginalized communities? Is an empathetic, artful imagination an excuse for personal mythmaking—especially when it has real-world consequences? While Carrillo’s literary work retains its power, his life is now inseparable from the question of how far a writer’s fictions can, or should, go.

For more: Read D. T. Max’s full article on H. G. Carrillo at newyorker.com.