Award-winning author of The Lawn Job, a wicked, sexy crime thriller, and the collection of transgressive short fiction, The Meaning of Blood and other tales of perversity, Chuck Caruso lives in Seattle, Washington, with his wife Beth and their darling dog Clementine.

A true renaissance man, Chuck also avidly plays guitar. As a singer/songwriter and a “troubadour of acoustic favorites,” he performs frequently at local restaurants, pubs, and house parties.

When not busy with his music or crime fiction, he teaches writing and literature at the Seattle Colleges. A popular instructor, Chuck has received excellence in teaching awards from both Marylhurst University and Clark College.

A 19th-century Americanist by academic training, Chuck holds a Ph.D. from University of Washington in English Literature and Textual Studies. As a noted Poe scholar, he was featured in the PBS American Masters documentary Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive.  Caruso has published many essays and articles about Poe’s work and influence, especially related to detective and mystery fiction and the tradition of American Gothic literature.

Caruso’s own crime, science fiction, and horror tales have appeared in Cemetery Dance, Shroud, and Dark Discoveries, among other print magazines and anthologies. His western noir tales have been published by The Big Adios, Shotgun Honey, Flash Fiction Offensive, and The Western Online. His story “They’ll Call Me Whistlin’ Pete” was included in Kwik Krimes, Otto Penzler’s best-of-the-web crime anthology.

During the COVID pandemic, Caruso recognized a need for free online offering that could blend entertainment with education. He started a web-based film studies series for fellow fans of horror. Learn more about this ongoing project at professorchuck.com

Learn more about Caruso’s career as a Poe scholar and crime writer by visiting his online interviews.