Samantha Gessner
Samantha is a queer author from one of Chicago’s many suburbs.
She graduated from Dominican University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing. When she’s not working, reading, or writing, she is usually spending time with her friends, family, and cat or irresponsibly growing her manga collection.
Her short story “A Good Man is Hard to Be,” inspired by Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” was produced by Lumis Entertainment as a short film and is free to watch on YouTube. You can also find her on tumblr.
The winter of 1895 is threading its icy fingers through prosperous and industrious Chicago. As an aspiring lawyer at Novus Midwestern University, Daniel Gearon is certain he knows the difference between good and evil.
His understanding comes into question when he enrolls in the Post-Mortem Anatomy course led by Professor Mulligan, who insists that anyone who wants to uphold the law must understand what it means to embody a criminal.
Each week, the students gather to dissect and study a cadaver. As the semester progresses, the cadavers that turn up on the classroom’s examination table start to look like murder victims. While Daniel endures the stomach-churning anatomy lessons, a discovery about where the cadavers come from lurks in the dark.
In order to maintain his spot in this prestigious university that promises him a bright future, he must keep its secrets. Daniel will find out if his passion for studying law justifies breaking it.
Amphitheater is Samantha’s debut novel currently in the final stages of editing.
Stay tuned for a pub date!
