Sammy Gee: The Writer
Samantha Guzman is the author of several short stories capturing the raw experiences of Black and Latinx people through a fictional and sometimes fantastical lens.
Her works have appeared in Black + Well Magazine, Midnight and Indigo; Please See Me; The Acentos Review; and Alternating Current Press' Remapping Wonderland.
A graphic designer by day, a writer by subway commute, lunch, and night, she received a Bachelor of Technology in design from CUNY and a Master of Arts in creative writing from Southern New Hampshire University. A proud New York native, AfroLatina, and nerd, she is a lover of all things superhero, supernatural, and superstition-related.
Currently, Samantha resides in Queens, NY, where she’s working on a "storyverse" of several novels, two of which she's actively querying.
Additionally, I’m the founder and curator behind the Substack literary journal, The Lyrically Lit Journal. At its core, this space exists because of my deep love for writing and R&B music. The kind of music that soundtracks our lives. The kind that holds our heartbreak, our healing, our joy, our desire, our becoming. The kind that tells the truth, even when it hurts.
As a Black writer, I’ve faced (and continue to face) the resistance of gatekeepers who don’t understand our narratives or try to flatten them into something more “palatable.” Too often, our stories are misunderstood, diluted, or dismissed altogether.
This journal exists to bring vibrancy, color, and depth back into storytelling. To honor the full spectrum of beauty Black people create. To give Black and Brown writers space to write boldly, tenderly, honestly, and without explanation. To let our stories exist as they are—layered, emotional, musical, messy, poetic, and real.