Sam Kestenbaum is a journalist covering religion in America.

The Revealer, in an interview, said: “He has a particular talent for telling stories about complicated people with a kind of lucid nuance.” Longreads calls Sam’s reporting “fascinating… gonzo and empathetic at the same time.”

The Society of Features Journalism, in an award announcement, wrote: “Deeply reported and well-written profiles of fascinating religious figures. As a collection, they reveal as much about American spirituality as the individuals.”

The American Academy of Religion has said: “Kestenbaum’s writing is remarkably fluent and engaging; each article… makes a little-known dimension of modern religion vividly accessible.” Judges from the Religion News Association called Sam’s writing “smart, colorful and informed,” revealing “the unique ways American religion has evolved.”

Sam is from Maine. He lives in Los Angeles.