Before joining the show, Sam worked on Radio Open Source, hosted by Christopher Lydon. He’s also worked as a production assistant on film shoots, a web journalist, a bodyguard, a writing tutor, a travel guide author, and one of those people on the street who offer you free samples of chewing gum and over-the-counter painkillers.

Born and raised in Gloucester, Massachusetts, Sam holds a bachelor’s degree in History and Literature from Harvard University. He now lives in Cambridge, Mass., near a Tootsie Roll factory.