Born in Benesti, Romania, Samuel Bistrian is the 9th of twelve children. As a young boy, Samuel spent his time taking care of family livestock, helping with family chores and when time permitted, wandering and exploring his remote village. He vividly remembers life in Romania and the difficulties most Romanians faced in the poverty-stricken, pre-democratic society. 

Ever since his earliest days, he loved to wonder,  imagine and  dream of what a different world would be like.

Samuel left Benesti in 1990, shortly after the Revolution to move to America, along with ten siblings and his parents. The transition to America wasn't an easy process, but he soon discovered that America is a place where anybody can become anything they wanted to. He lived in Chicago for the first two years, before moving to Knoxville, TN where he finnished high school.  After high school he moved to Dallas, TX to begin college. Among the many subjects he studied, art, humanities, and literature, were his favorites. 

In college he met a girl who had many of the same interests. They would later get married and begin a new life together.

Samuel interrupted his college to go to Colombia, Cuba and Panama, for six months, dedicating his time to a humanitarian project and to writing, drawing and learning theatre. "Cuba was the most interesting," he says. "It gave me the opportunity to juxtapose my former life in Romania and the Cuban way of life. I was able to study the people, and listen to their stories," he recalls. It was in Cuba, while waiting for hours for the bus to go from village to village, that he wrote his first chapter of Goodbye Transylvania.  He also wrote a lot of poetry during that time.

He returned to Dallas with an enriched life and a clear vision of what he would pursue. He Graduated from Dallas Baptist University and continued using his energies to do what he loves most; writing, reading, and creating art.
 
In September 2007, he established The Light House Cultural Center in Dallas, TX, a place where like minded artist can use their creativity for the enhancement of their communities.

His first book, Goodbye Transylvania, received much interest and earned Samuel many positive reviews. Since then, Samuel continues  traveling and exploring different cultures around the globe.

Samuel is currently working on his second book, Days of Vanity, which is due to be completed sometimes in 2009.

"Samuel's love of storytelling is inspiring", said one loyal reader, "Once you read a line, you just want to keep on reading."

-Sal Sosa