Kevin Sampsell

I’m extremely excited to be one of the recipients of the James Patterson Bookseller Holiday Bonuses for this year. I was one of 87 folks to get one (out of 2,848 nominations) and I realize how lucky I am to be recognized in the vast, impressive landscape of book lovers working at independent stores everywhere. I wanted to take a moment to talk about how important this job is to me.

I started at Powell’s in November of 1997. But just a few years before that, I was just a dude who never went to a real college, was barely interested in books as a kid, and probably thought Tennessee Williams was a baseball player. I had finally picked up the habit (the addiction!) of reading when I was 22 years old. I would choose books by the covers, their reputations in history (banned books were of particular interest), the stories of their troubled authors. I didn’t know many readers when I started reading. I didn’t know who to ask for recommendations.

It’s funny how your trajectory as a reader can be forever determined by one book or one author. I recall particular booksellers in Spokane, Seattle, Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Portland that put books into my hands that would alter my brain and my life. In Spokane, that book was The Abortion by Richard Brautigan. In Seattle, it was Jesse Bernstein’s Personal Effects and Dennis Cooper’s Closer. In Fort Smith, it was Mary Gaitskill’s Bad Behavior. In Portland, it was Gordon Lish’s Dear Mr. Capote, Kathy Acker’s Blood and Guts in High School.

When I started at Powell’s, I would observe how other booksellers would help customers with such kindness and intelligence. Specifically, those customers who asked us, with all the trust in the world, “What book should I read next?” Throughout the years, these have been my favorite sort of customers, especially if they say things like, “I just got into southern fiction” or “I want something funny” or “I want to know more about Portland poets” or “I like heartbreaking Mennonite authors.” These kind of statements make my heart pitter-patter. For them I offer: Barry Hannah, William Gay…Jonathan Ames, Myriam Gurba…Emily Kendal Frey, James Gendron…Miriam Toews! And I could go on.

When you do something for eighteen years, you’ll probably get good at it. Especially if you watch and learn from those around you. Some of the best booksellers I’ve known starts with Vanessa Renwick, who as the mother of the legendary small press section, showed me the value of helping out tiny presses, the self-publishers, the scrappy zinesters, and the industrious literary weirdos of Portland and beyond. I’ve written elsewhere on Vanessa’s importance to where I am today. There’s also the late Marty Kruse (who also ran the small press section before me), and other fantastic ex-cohorts like Steffen Silvis, Meredith Schreiber, Elizabeth Miller, Aaron Gilbreath, Joseph Lappie, Jessica Patton, Nicolette Lind, and Liz Olufson. Currently, I work with bookselling superstars like Gin Enguehard, Jason Chan, Jacob Schraer, McKenzie Workman, Chris Faatz, Dianah Hughley, Liz Vogan, Linda Watson, Mark Savage, Chris Hagen, Tove Holmberg, Santi Elijah Holley, Ryan Hall, and so many others that could fill several blog posts.

Anyone who loves books and places books into readers’ hands is a person whose value is beyond measure. Our position–as recommenders, taste-makers, readers, sellers, book displayers, etc.–is important to culture. Heck, it’s important to the whole world! It’s maybe the most important thing I do in my life. When I meet people outside of work and they ask what I do, I don’t start off by saying I’m a writer or publisher or collage artist or whatever. I always start by saying, “I work at Powell’s.”

Here’s a photo of me with Carol Easter, another member of the Powell’s bookseller family, standing in front of the James Patterson books at the store. Mr. Patterson seems to know the importance of books, readers, and bookstores. His website shows not just his mammoth bibliography but also his inspiring array of community service. Thanks to everyone who voted for me for this award. Come in any time and I’ll help you find a book.

Oh, wow. Is it really Fall now? Like practically Halloween! This year is going by really fast. Here’s some quick update action for you. Thanks for stopping by!

• I worked with Adam Robinson to get a redesign on the Future Tense website. This has been long overdue and I think it looks beautiful. Make sure to pay special attention to the newest release, Soft Split, by Szilvia Molnar. It’s sooo good. You should contact this Robinson cat if you want some WordPress expertise!
  

  Adam Robinson and I talking about how to make websites more like yummy food.

• Still doing a lot of collage stuff, including the monthly IPRC nights and the Paper Trumpets column. I had a show at Crema Cafe this summer and have another one coming up at Radio Room starting October 29th through the month of November. 
• Go to my events page to see info on a couple of collage workshops I’m doing, a couple of small press panels (Oct 17 for Poets & Writers Live & on Nov 4th with Michael Seidlinger), the long-awaited return of Booty Call at Portland Center Stage (Oct 24) and a reading during the Wordstock LitCrawl on Nov 7th.
• I’m taking a novel writing class (through Literary Arts)! Which means I am working on my next novel, which feels good. I mean it’s freaking hard writing a novel but I’m trying again.
• I’ve had a poem, a couple of stories (here’s one!), and a few other things accepted recently, so you should see those pop up soonish. Oh, and this poem on Ink Node.

Thanks for reading. Hope you’re having a great year.

Summer is a time when I try to be with friends as much as possible and enjoy the small window of sunny Portland weather. We just kicked off the season with a few hundred friends here in Portland at LitHop, which was a hot and memorable night of readings all over downtown.

Jeff Alessandrelli and I thank the crowd at the LitHop after-party at Dante’s before Brownish Black takes the stage.

Jay Ponteri sets up some My Bloody Valentine music for his reading that closed the night at Ash Street Saloon and LitHop 2015.

In other friend news, my pal Lidia Yuknavitch has a new book out this week. I had fun recording a snippet of the first chapter of it for this video, produced by Meg Tuite and Ken Robidoux for Connotation Press. Many other friends are also in the video: Paula Bomer, Margaret Malone, Amelia Gray, and many more.

Some of my favorite books this year are by friends and the newest one in my heart is Kevin Maloney’s Cult of Loretta. He’s reading with my other friends (and Future Tense authors) Chelsea Hodson (Pity the Animal) and Elissa Washuta (the new Instant Future eBook Starvation Mode) at Colonel Summers Park Saturday, July 11th at 7:30pm.

Elissa, Chelsea, and Kevin M

Other friends with new books you should get: Wendy C. Ortiz, Jamie Iredell, Lisa Cicarello, Myriam Gurba, Sean H. Doyle, Troy James Weaver, and Amy Fusselman.

And these stellar new essays by Zach Ellis and Zoe Ruiz.

In other friend news, Frayn and I adopted a new kitty. His name is Simba and he is quickly becoming an all-star cuddler and furry pal around here. Just look at this loving friend!

Simba (aka Mr. Simms) Photo by B Frayn Masters

I hope everyone’s having a great summer so far. Stay cool, buddies.

It’s May already! This year is going by fast. Some great things are brewing. Look!

I am doing a workshop TOMORROW at Clackamas Community College at their very cool COMPOSE event. You can still sign up but you have to do it today.

Other collage news!

I have a Tumblr now. It’s specifically to highlight my collage life. Check it out and follow me. So far it’s been super fun!

The new Kolaj Magzine (#12) features a story I did about Portland collage artist Kurtiss Lofstrom. He’s one of my favorites.

And look–there’s even some poetry news!

My poem, Anti-Extinct, is featured in the first issue of Backwords, a new T-shirt press. You heard that right. Instead of being printed on a website or in a journal, they put their stuff on T-shirts. Really excited to be part of this new venture. Here’s a really nice thing they wrote about me. Also featured are poets Ocean Vuong (poem pictured) and Elaina Ellis.

Thanks for looking. Thanks for reading! xo