in short the podcast: january 28, 2021

On the debut episode of In Short: The Podcast, I read my short story “The Alonso Research Center for Studies of the Undead.” Then, Elishia and I chat breakups, unintentional pandemic clairvoyance, and Great British Bake Off. She was even kind enough to edit out my Paul Hollywood impression. Bless.

In “Alonso,” 18-year-old Ella wonders how she got herself onto the cutting edge of research on the zombie pandemic. When she applied for the internship at the research center for infectious diseases, she thought she’d be studying something normal like bird flu or Ebola. Already on the verge, Ella’s ex-girlfriend’s corpse showing up in the lab for study might just be enough to unhinge her.

Listen to more of Elishia’s audio work at: http://www.englishgirlinnewyork.org/in-short-the-podcast/2021/1/27/s01e01-the-alonso-research-center-for-studies-of-the-undead-by-sam-panepinto

Image outwrite virtual reading: August 20, 2020

At this event, I read my contemporary short story, “A Root in the Dark,” alongside other authors who have been featured in the Image Out Literary Journal. (Shout out to Allie, the ASL interpreter, who dealt with my northeastern speed-reading and the phrase “hex his dick into a little raisin nub” so beautifully.)

In “A Root in the Dark,” 16-year-old Q wonders about the point of it all from her dorm room. She feels like she was put on this planet to get good grades, act as her mom’s prize show pony, and eventually carry on the family pedigree. But Q has other plans. An amateur haircut won’t solve it all, but maybe it’s a start.