Who am I?
My name is Sam and I’m a writer based in New York City. I’m a creative nonfiction essayist, focusing primarily on memoir and coming of age.
Some of my writing can also be found at the following publications:
“My Grandmother’s Daughter” for Periphery (March 2025)
“Kelly Ever After” for Queer Love Project (March 2025)
A short story for Queer Love Project (June 2025)
“To Cage A Yellowbird” for Qstack (July 2025)
What is A YEAR WITHOUT WATER?
A YEAR WITHOUT WATER began in 2024 as a weekly series of anecdotes and essays reflecting upon my formative experiences. It was originally inspired by the most emotionally turbulent twelve-month period of my life. As a standalone publication, it is a portfolio of my writing as well as my outlet for discussing my coming of age as a gay man of color—Sex and the City, but my way.
New entries are released around the 25th of each month.
I thank my greatest friend for lovingly designing the water droplets that adorn each entry.
Are the essays in chronological order?
No. There is no set order to the essays except when they are explicitly marked as parts of a whole (typically halves). The titular numbering refers only to the publication sequence. Some are linked to others; others are standalone pieces.
Where should you begin reading?
For the purposes of this project, there is no set starting or end chapter; you are encouraged to peruse the essays in your own preferred order.
That being said, to mark the first anniversary of A YEAR WITHOUT WATER, I collected my favorite lines from each individual essay published within those twelve months as a sort of thematic lighthouse—if any pique your interest, the relevant hyperlink is juxtaposed. You can find that towards the bottom half of the page here.
What does it mean to subscribe?
Subscribing (or “following”) simply gains you full access to new posts as they are published, delivered directly to your destination of choice (via email or Substack).
All subscriptions are free.
