tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85652450089345219022026-08-09T18:22:30.917-07:00Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.comBlogger649125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-77756589313226234522026-07-21T12:53:07.323-07:002026-07-21T12:54:56.065-07:00

One of my favourite literary magazines, Canadian Notes & Queries (CNQ), is back after a two-year hiatus, publishing its issue #115. And oh look, I have a piece in it, a review of Lauren Carter’s new novel, The Longest Night. It's great to be back in the pages of this long-running journal, and there's lots to love about Carter's new tome, a mix of time-travelling fantasy and

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-25779638974923983102026-05-22T02:12:37.892-07:002026-05-22T02:12:37.892-07:00

Has Big Tech turned everything shitty? Are the digital products and services we've come to rely on getting worse, thanks to monopoly and technofeudalism? Are there bigger issues at stake than just frustration and inconvenience? These are some of the ideas I touch upon in my review of Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do about It, by Cory Doctorow, for Canadian

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-79090520029893014882026-02-22T14:19:00.000-08:002026-02-22T14:19:48.595-08:00

I'm excited to share that I've gotten a new book review published - of Josée Sigouin's debut novel, Our Fifth Season (Blue Denim Press, 2025) in the pages of Devour: Art & Lit Canada #22. I've known Josée around the Toronto literary scene for many years now, and I was honoured to lend my endorsement to her smart and accomplished tale about two star-crossed lovers divided by age,

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-61519090810127170362025-12-18T05:49:00.000-08:002025-12-18T05:49:53.168-08:00

I'm very grateful to see this review of my latest novel, Lowfield, in Canadian Writers Abroad. The piece, by Eleanor Proudfoot, is titled "Spooked in PEI," and here is an excerpt for your enjoyment:"Mundane elements of the landscape (such as the construction pillars of the bridge) are recast as ominous, and I was immediately sucked into an eerie atmosphere that felt real and compelling. Gems

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-47139515140344972402025-11-26T02:25:00.000-08:002025-11-26T10:22:56.004-08:00

So I completely dropped the ball and failed to acknowledge and share around this video of my reading at the Brockton Writers Series back in September. Oops! Anyway, here it is! It was a lovely night and now you can enjoy a part of it. Please don't forget to like, subscribe, comment, vote, get a Pap smear, thank your mom for all she's done for you, take your blood pressure, support local

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-71354764290863925202025-11-14T12:04:00.000-08:002025-11-14T12:29:12.652-08:00

 Okay, I'm back guest-columning for Rebecca's newsletter, this time to ask the question: am I becoming a baseball fan? (And to sing the praises of our pal Jacob McArthur Mooney's new novel.) Here's an excerpt of what I have to say:"And by the time the postseason started, I shocked myself by tuning in. Who was I now? Was I becoming a baseball fan? I can easily say that what won me over

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-44801139291805501112025-11-04T04:43:00.000-08:002025-11-04T04:44:58.784-08:00

And I have a new short story, called "Exactly Nine Years," included in it! I'm so excited to see this piece, from my RECENTLY COMPLETED new short story collection manuscript, out in the world. I'm chuffed to see this piece in Grain's 200th issue (as I was to see my story "Fall Back" in The Fiddlehead #300 last summer), and this also marks my second time in Grain. I had poem appear in an

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-29925591922917339212025-10-30T11:07:00.000-07:002025-10-30T11:07:12.018-07:00

Just in time for Halloween, I'm back in the digital pages of Canadian Writers Abroad, this time reviewing Emily Weedon's stellar horror novel, Hemo Sapiens. This novel gives us a fresh take on the vampire story, one that incorporate tropes from the world of motherhood and the health and wellness industry. Here's an excerpt from my review:Weedon, using skills honed as a screenwriter, unfurls her

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-43264713323015500242025-09-25T09:39:00.000-07:002025-09-25T09:39:00.868-07:00

I'm back on Jamie Tennant's excellent book show, Get Lit, this time talking about my new novel, Lowfield. In this interview, I get pretty candid about the origins of this tale of horror/paranormal suspense and its dealings with sexual violence, toxic masculinity and the relinquishing of one's power and privilege when combatting evil. Probably one of the best interviews I've given. Thanks, as

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-46840926823898654352025-08-13T11:35:00.000-07:002025-08-13T11:35:24.166-07:00

As mentioned in my post last week, I'm super stoked to be reading at the Brockton Writers Series on September 10. As part of that, I've contributed to the Series' blog with this post, called "What I Learned Writing a Horror Novel." I hope you enjoy it! 

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-82077102206666969192025-08-03T14:39:00.000-07:002025-08-03T14:39:14.644-07:00

For those of you living in the Greater Toronto Area, I want to let you know that I've got a couple of readings scheduled for next month. If you're free on one (or both!) of these dates, come on out and say hi. They are:Wednesday, September 10 - Brockton Writers Series. I'll be sharing a stage with Chrisopher Yusko, Steffi Tad-y, and Farah Ghafoor at this long-running reading series. The event

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-76751423451694487812025-08-01T02:49:00.000-07:002025-08-01T02:49:02.051-07:00

Well, it would seem that I am on a roll with short fiction. I received word a couple of weeks ago that a new story of mine, called "Exactly Nine Years," has been accepted for publication in Grain magazine! The piece will appear in Vol. 53.1, Fall 2025, which is Grain's 200th issue.  This marks the second time I've appeared in the pages of Grain: I had a poem published in it back in

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-54564314868513244542025-07-02T03:53:00.000-07:002025-07-02T03:53:41.971-07:00

And it's got my short story, "Adults in Costumes," inside! I'm so very proud to be in this issue of The Ampersand Review, a journal published as part of Sheridan College's Honours Bachelor of Creative Writing & Publishing Program here in Ontario. The program itself is facing an existential threat due to cuts plaguing many institutions of higher learning across the province, yet the students

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-79567048577315855652025-06-19T11:21:00.000-07:002025-06-19T11:21:31.919-07:00

Howdy folks! Just thought I'd share around a few of the reviews my new novel, Lowfield, has received in the two months since it was published. Always grateful when critics take the time to read my work and put their thoughts down.There's this review in The Miramachi Reader, which ran on Tuesday. In it, literary critic and erstwhile PEI resident Jeff Bursey says: "[T]his novel will disturb easily

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-31063156817316571132025-04-09T10:25:00.000-07:002025-04-09T10:25:05.414-07:00

Well, I've got a fun piece of good news to share. I've had a short story accepted to The Ampersand Review! This literary magazine, published by the Honours Bachelor of Creative Writing & Publishing program at Sheridan College here in Ontario, launched in 2021. Eight issues in, it has published a lot of fantastic writing and even features, celebrity style, a well-regarded

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-21508285747769460602025-03-27T06:15:00.000-07:002025-03-27T06:15:18.318-07:00

Hey Toronto: I’m happy to announce the LOWFIELD LAUNCH! Join us on Sunday, April 27 from 1 to 3 pm as I send my new novel, a tale of horror and paranormal suspense set on PEI, out into the world. The event will happen at Little Ghosts Books, 930 Dundas St W., and will feature Dan Perry, (author of his own tale of horror, Modern Folklore), who will MC and do a Q&A with me.See this Eventbrite

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-24214357732950317322025-03-19T06:20:00.000-07:002025-03-19T06:20:22.225-07:00

I'm happy to announce that I'm back in the digital pages of Canadian Writers Abroad, this time reviewing Wayne Grady's nonfiction work about Covid-19, Pandexicon: How the Language of the Pandemic Defined Our New Cultural Reality. I really enjoyed this book: through the terms, neologisms, and slang that arose during the pandemic, it lays out the history and consequences of that collective

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-25610412272843663782025-02-21T04:51:00.000-08:002025-02-21T04:51:42.791-08:00

Well, I'm back with another guest post for my wife Rebecca's newsletter. This piece, called On the Sunk Cost Fallacy, or Why I Wrote a Horror Novel is a deeply personal one for me. It talks about the long, hard road to getting my forthcoming new novel, Lowfield, accepted for publication. I put this out there, not just as promotion for the book (which you can pre-order wherever you buy

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-10184368050016761512025-02-06T09:51:00.000-08:002025-02-06T09:51:07.370-08:00

Okay folks, save the date! The launch party for DEVOURING TOMORROW will be on April 2 at Toronto's Teddy Beer. I've got a short story, called "Unlimited Dream," included in this speculative fiction anthology about "food of the future." The book is edited by Jeffrey Dupuis and A.G. Pasquella and includes works by Carleigh Baker, Gary Barwin, Chris Benjamin, Catherine Bush, Jowita Bydlowska, Lisa

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-74428646996805359352025-01-08T02:13:00.000-08:002025-01-08T02:14:19.975-08:00

 As I mentioned just about a year ago, I have a new short story, called "Unlimited Dream," forthcoming in a speculative fiction anthology Devouring Tomorrow, edited by Jeffrey Dupuis and A.G. Pasquella. Built around the theme of "food of the future," this book is out in March (not in the fall as previously reported) and is already getting some buzz, including a writeup in last weekend's

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-4728911129088951172024-12-16T13:41:00.000-08:002024-12-16T13:41:22.189-08:00

So I've got a guest blog post on the Wolsak & Wynn website today, in which I pair some books and cocktails to help you unwind during this festive season. My choices include books from Gerald Arthur Moore, Shashi Bhatt, Daniel Tysdal and others, and the cocktails include the Irish Maid, the Boulevardier, and the Chelsea Sidecar. Don't forget to add a comment and share some picks of your own.

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-85498810173450957452024-12-10T02:20:00.000-08:002024-12-10T02:20:32.752-08:00

So apparently there's some demand for "more Mark content" over on my wife's newsletter. Who knew! If you've read Rebecca's 2023 pandemic memoir, These Days Are Numbered, you know that recreated dialogues with me featured prominently in the Facebook posts that comprised that book, and these tend to be what readers have reacted to the most. (Not bragging, just a fact.) Now that love has followed

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-45259471636763053742024-11-05T04:29:00.000-08:002024-11-05T04:29:31.983-08:00

 I've done another review for the lovely and eclectic Canadian Writers Abroad magazine, this time of Derek Webster's new poetry collection, National Animal. This is a wise and warm book of verse, and I'm not surprised that it's also gotten some recent love from the Quebec Writers Federation Awards. Here's an excerpt from my review:The nation in National Animal is, for the most part,

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-65065162182491034192024-10-04T05:59:00.000-07:002024-10-04T05:59:24.882-07:00

If you're Facebook friends with my wife Rebecca Rosenblum, you know she's launched a newsletter. If you haven't subscribed to it yet, you should - it's loads of fun! At her behest, I have written a guest post for it, called In Praise of Writing Manuals, adapted and updated from a (much longer) essay I wrote 10 years ago for an anthology about creative writing, which was initially accepted

Mark Sampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853247452846940409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565245008934521902.post-29523626119229581842024-08-15T04:59:00.000-07:002024-08-15T04:59:42.051-07:00

 Well, I've got some VERY exciting news to share. I have a brand new novel coming out next year!The book is called Lowfield, and it's a tale of horror and suspense set on my native Prince Edward Island. It is forthcoming in the spring of 2025 from Vancouver's Now or Never Publishing, the same press that released my short story collection The Secrets Men Keep. Here is Lowfield's official

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