G. Samantha Rosenthal (she/her/hers) is an independent journalist, professional historian, and award-winning author with an expertise in reporting on history, religion, music, arts, and culture. As a storyteller, she holds a special commitment to amplifying the diverse voices and movements of Appalachia and the U.S. South.
Samantha is the author of two books, most recently Living Queer History: Remembrance and Belonging in a Southern City.
Her writing has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Scientific American, Salon, The Advocate, The Conversation, Southern Cultures, Lilith, Sojourners, VAN, and Them.
She also writes the wildly unpopular newsletter, 700/14.
Samantha is co-founder of the Southwest Virginia LGBTQ+ History Project (est. 2015), an award-winning queer community history organization; Second Friday (est. 2022), a lesbian social monthly pop-up; and the Southwest Virginia Trans Wellness Fund (est. 2023), a mutual aid initiative that empowers transgender people through financial assistance.
Her work, as an author and with the Southwest Virginia LGBTQ+ History Project, has been recognized with awards and honorable mentions from the National Council on Public History, the Oral History Association, the LGBTQ+ History Association, the American Society for Environmental History, and the Working Class Studies Association.
A former tenured college professor, Samantha taught history, gender and women’s studies, and environmental studies at Roanoke College, Middlebury College, and at Washington & Lee University. In addition to her academic career, Samantha is a trained classical and jazz pianist with an undergraduate degree in music.
G. Samantha Rosenthal, Ph.D. 