Sam Szekely

Biography: Sam Szekely is a fourth year majoring in creative writing and political science with a minor in anthropology, but has been a pursuer of the arts since birth. He primarily writes literary and science fiction, but also enjoys writing poetry, songs and essays. Outside of his life as a writer, you can find him playing guitar and banjo, defending audio books, waxing poetic about “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” or attempting to learn Ancient Greek.

Artist Statement: This piece primarily centers song lyrics I wrote about returning to where I grew up, in Portland, after an extended period of time away. I was able to look at this city I adore with fresh eyes, for the better and for the worst, a new vision of an old sight. I was grappling with personal disillusionments as well as the systemic failures on display around me. I felt somewhat damned by a bleak political future while also hyper-aware of the fact that I was still contributing to the problem, even if I didn’t want to be. This was my attempt at catharsis as I processed these emotions and all the things Portland means to me, in all its iterations — past, present, and future.