Kevin Sampsell

This is one of the craziest Augusts I’ve had. It just seems like a ton of stuff was happening every week. Here were some of the highlights (and there’s still a couple of days left before September!):

B. Frayn and I had a long overdue dinner with the wonderful Cheryl Strayed and her husband, Brian Lindstrom.

Went to the wedding of friend and Back Fence PDX co-babe, Melissa Lion.

Hung out with new Portland friends Leni Zumas and Luca Dipiero.

Read at the release party for the book, Nouns of Assemblage, with a bunch of other friends. I’m super happy to have a story in this killer book, published by my friend, Riley Michael Parker.

Read in Seattle with Lidia Yuknavitch and Kerry Cohen, then went out with pals Richard Chiem and Frances Dinger after.

Had some food and drink at the new Trader Vic’s with longtime friend from Chicago, Rob Christopher. (Psst: I didn’t really like Trader Vic’s)

Saw Ned Vizzini, Sabra Embury, and their baby at Powell’s and gave them a mini walking tour of Portland’s Pearl District.

Hosted a reading at Ampersand with Emily Kendal Frey, Sarah Bartlett, and Jamalieh Hailey.

Went to the big Plazm 20th anniversary party at Disjecta.

Played ping pong on the rooftop of Nancy Guppy’s Seattle condo (B. Frayn is the ping pong champ!).

Found the newest Future Tense acquisition (to be announced soon, for a summer 2012 release). And did some edits on other upcoming books.

Got to the revising, editing, and sequencing stage of the novel I’m working on.

Got a story accepted for the 2012 issue of The Fairy Tale Review.

I was interviewed a couple of times too. Including this one at Used Furniture Review.

Started getting ready for the Literary Death Match!

Also–I taught a flash memoir writing workshop, visited my son at his Youthcorps summer camp near Wenatchee, went to other friends’ readings, took my wife on some dates, paid rent on time, and went to the dentist!

ALSO ALSO– I made this list!

Talk to you in September!