“I’m fascinated with these shows that try to gamify and codify things that in our actual social lives are much more fluid and unobserved. They kind of turn the human experience into a sport. I don’t think watching ‘The Bachelor’ is that far removed from watching people fight in a gladiatorial arena. I think that we come to them for the same reasons–there’s a Bloodlust there.”

– Samantha Allen on A Public Affair

Patricia Wants to Cuddle is a horror-comedy novel set in Otters Island–a gorgeous ghost town that was big in the 90 in the gay community. The final four contestants of the reality dating show “The Catch” and the man they are all competing for, find themselves on the island with the production team and a mysterious shadow in the woods.

Samantha Allen joins us to talk about her greatly anticipated and highly praised new book.

Samantha Allen is the author of the horror-comedy novel Patricia Wants to Cuddle and Real Queer America: LGBT Stories from Red States. Samantha is also a GLAAD-Award winning journalist and editor, previously covering LGBTQ+ stories as a senior reporter for The Daily Beast and as a staff writer for Fusion. Her writing has been published by The New York Times, Rolling Stone, CNN, and more.

Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereMore Posts for Show: A Public Affair