Photo by Joy Newell

Sam Slupski (they/them) is a trans nonbinary nonfiction writer and poet from the Midwest, living in the Olympic Peninsula. They are the author of UNTIL TENDER (Game Over Books).

In their work, Sam interrogates the mental health industrial complex and the wellness industry, speaks to their lived experience with reparenting, complex trauma, and queerness, and brings conversations about mental health into the light where they belong. They are a disability justice advocate, speaking out against pandemic denial and encouraging everyday safety precautions to protect against disabling viruses.

Sam has worked with St. Louis Queer Support & Healing, focusing on community consciousness-raising, outreach, and external communications skill-building. They were the Wellness Editor of Swift Wellness, a former Program Director of Poetic Underground, and a teaching artist with Austin Bat Cave. They’ve headlined events like the Melbourne Spoken Word Poetry Festival, toured the US and Canada, and were a Button Poetry Chapbook Contest finalist.

They currently work with The Heart of It Writing Retreat & Residencies, and with a team of writers and organizers, they are procuring seed funding to steward land and creative space to house the retreat alongside other co-op creative projects. You can learn more and donate to the seed funding here.

Sam writes a newsletter called Nourishing Notes, shares on Instagram at @theyaresam, and hosts You Are Here Residency (coming early 2026). They are hobby ceramicist, love to cook, and will always stop to take in a sunset.