Agreeable Gray, by Samantha Slaven

Poetry, chapbook, 40 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

During a pool party hangout at a friend’s place during the summer of 2023, Samantha Slaven learned that the name of the paint color used to stage houses is Agreeable Gray. This was a lightbulb moment. Over the course of the next few weeks, Samantha began assembling together a collection of new pieces and previously unloved poems that couldn’t manage to stand on their own. Thus, the book, Agreeable Gray, was born.

Agreeable Gray contains poems by a woman who has deemed herself agreeable. She makes arrangements to keep the peace despite a differing opinion. She goes with the flow for fear of starting an argument otherwise. She does not make waves. And she is willing to change to grow into a better human being.

Samantha Slaven is a writer currently living in Suburban Philadelphia (a move to the greater Orlando area is imminent). She is supported by her husband, Shawn, and dog, Vader. Samantha loves pro wrestling, horror movies, and weird pop icons. She was nominated by Alternate Route for the 2025 Pushcart Prize for her poem ‘Gatekeeping and Missed Connections’. Samantha’s previous work can be found through Alien Buddha Press (first collection The Squared Circle Human) as well as in various other publications.