Writer bios are seldom that interesting, and mine is no exception. Go figure.

A condensed literary history. Grab some coffee.

Screenwriting

Carolyn is also a screenwriter; she and her two writing partners recently sold a sci-fi thriller feature film, THE RECORD SHOP, to Knight Studios. Coming to a theater near you in 2026!

Carolyn R. Russell is an award-winning author, poet, screenwriter, and educator who works from and lives on the North Shore of Boston. She holds an M.A. in Film Studies from the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University and a B.A. in Communication Education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Thanks for hanging in. Y'all deserve some dancing fruit bats now.

A Best Microfiction winner and Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and Best Small Fictions nominee, Carolyn R. Russell's poetry, creative nonfiction, and short stories have been featured in numerous publications, including The Boston Globe; L’Esprit Literary Review, Pictura Journal, Eunoia Review; Third Wednesday; The Citron Review; Vestal Review; Bridge Eight; Blink-Ink; Litro Magazine; Club Plum Literary Journal; Daikaijuzine; Orca: A Literary Journal; Penumbric Speculative Fiction Magazine; Brilliant Flash Fiction; New World Writing; The Metaworker; and The Disappointed Housewife. She is the author of four books, the latest of which is a collection of cross-genre flash (prose and poetry of fewer than 1000 words) called:

"Death and Other Survival Strategies" (Vine Leaves Press, 2023)

A young boy confronts a terrifying family secret. A recent college graduate is surprised by her fairy godmother in the powder room of a fancy nightclub in Manhattan. An exhausted midwife and her talking horse stumble into the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. A crack real estate agent confronts monstrously annoying thrill seekers at her open house. Two scheming ex-lovers meet at a diner; only one will leave. A small child gleefully bends reality to her will. This cross-genre collection of flash explores the far realms of our most basic instinct. Russell's stories astonish, delight, and repulse, unleashing a multiverse of possibility as her unforgettable characters respond to uncertainty in bedeviling ways.

Buy on Vine Leaves Press, on Amazon, and at fine bookstores everywhere.

"The Films of Joel and Ethan Coen" (McFarland &Company, 2001)

A critical analysis of Joel and Ethan Coen's groundbreaking early films, from "Blood Simple" to "The Big Lebowski."

Buy on Amazon and at fine bookstores everywhere.

"In the Fullness of Time" (Vine Leaves Press, 2020), a YA dystopian thriller

In a future where people joyfully arrange their own deaths, a young woman battles the consequences of a biotechnology gone horribly wrong and the cruel theocracy that enforces a sinister solution….The planet has been decimated by an attempt to alter its ecosystem. It seemed like a good idea at the time: eradicate mosquitoes and eliminate their lethal infectious diseases. Four generations later, the air is steamy and toxic, food is hard to come by, and the human population has exploded. Appalled by the cruelty of the secular church that forms the government, Somerset Whitman, born into its ranks, has joined a secret revolutionary cell in order to fight for the poor and hungry. But who to trust when nothing is as it seems, and no one is who they appear to be?

Buy on Amazon and at fine bookstores everywhere.

"Q & A" (Vine Leaves Press, 2023), a middle grade humorous caper

Something very creepy is going on inside the Eco Trooper Club's gloomy warehouse. Quinn Bard has been forced to join a club at her high school in the new town she hates. Her first meeting leaves her questioning her sanity. Despite her family’s joyfully chaotic home life, things get worse. Quinn is shocked to discover a sinister conspiracy at the heart of the club’s mission, and there’s something very bizarre about the group’s adult leader, Nadine Stent. Enlisting the help of her older sister Arista, Quinn learns that the club’s student members are unhappy hostages. What mysterious power does Stent hold over them? And what kind of twisted scheme has she dragged everyone into?

Buy on Vine Leaves Press, on Amazon, and at fine bookstores everywhere.

Other books include:

For "Death and Other Survival Strategies"

"You will emerge on the other side of this book laughing, crying, and braver." - Lorette C. Luzajic, founder and editor of The Ekphrastic Review

"[Carolyn's] insightful voice is both strange and familiar, finding the humanity and humor in lives real, imagined, and in between." - Doug Mathewson & Sally Reno, Editors, Blink-Ink

"Akin to spending time at your favorite art museum. You turn a corner and are greeted by a wall lined with exquisite miniatures, and here, you turn a page and melt into micro-jewels." - John McCaffrey, author of Automatically Hip

"Russell's collection of compressed literary art is just that: art. Brush strokes trimming out tantalizing microfiction in tighter spaces... gorgeously imagined and thoughtfully rendered." - Keith Hoerner, founding editor of The Dribble Drabble Review

"Worlds recognizable enough to feel familiar, yet filled with the underlying dread and longing inherent in our human condition... combines parable, humor, logic and fairy tale to an entertaining and eerily devastating effect." - Andrea Caswell, Senior Fiction Editor, Cleaver Magazine

"These stories are compelling, provocative, and a wholly immersive experience, even in a medium that celebrates brevity... don't just entertain; they make you think." - Bob Krasner, 2023 NYPA award winner for Arts Coverage

"Surprising and teeming with wit." - Ian M. Rogers, author of MFA Thesis Novel

"The big bad wolf, a jealous bridesmaid, a distraught mother, and a silver bullet wielding realtor... reimagined fairytales, mini horror stories, and heart-breaking slices of life... clever flash fictions from the first word to the last." - Joan Wilking, author of the award-winning novella, Mycology

"These deliciously witty flash tales conjure up worlds in a wide range of genres... these sumptuously satisfying stories will haunt you." - Martha Engber, author of Bliss Road

"Carolyn weaves a tapestry of captivating tales that push the boundaries of imagination. Brace yourself for a literary adventure that will leave an indelible mark." - Shane O'Halloran, founder and editor of Fiction Kitchen Berlin

For "In the Fullness of Time"

"In this YA dystopian thriller, a teenage girl fighting against a fascist government learns an astonishing truth that changes everything. After environmental disaster and ensuing wars, the future in the United States—now just “States,” divided into tyrant-ruled Factions—seems grim for most. Air and water are unclean, most animals are extinct, food is scarce, and homelessness is rife. Seventeen-year-old Somerset Whitman is more fortunate than most; her family are clerics, and for generations they’ve lived in a huge “Tempedral,” where, Somerset says, “It’s our job to take care of the ornate building and brainwash seekers into requesting Reverie”—a event that no one returns from. Secretly, Somerset works with a resistance cell to sabotage the government, which is already on shaky ground due to low food supplies. She also has a new responsibility in taking care of Monica, an orphaned little girl, and has a burgeoning romantic interest in Jake, the piratical new cell leader. Amid growing unrest and crackdowns, Somerset and others must take refuge in a safe house: “I don’t know for sure what’s happening in the other Factions, but it’s end-of-days outside of here,” reports Jake. Just as things look bleakest, Somerset discovers the secret of what Reverie has become. Although Russell (Same As It Never Was, 2018, etc.) combines some familiar elements of YA dystopian and romance fiction, she does so with intelligence and energy. For example, it turns out that society’s collapse began after the destruction of disease-bearing mosquitoes—which had unintended consequences. Russell also creates a believably paranoid atmosphere and shows how propaganda and advertising contribute to propping up fascist governments. However, the book never feels didactic thanks to Somerset’s naturalistic narration and well-rounded characterization. For example, she’s very much a stereotypical teenage girl in how she avoids chores, but she’s also a brave fighter and protective toward Monica. The cliffhanger ending suggests that further installments are planned, which would be welcome." - Kirkus Reviews

"In the Fullness of Time is what the best YA dystopian novel strives to be; a prism through which present-day issues can be explored that leaves readers-young and old-satisfied, entertained, and yearning for more. Set in a future world destroyed by chemical alterations to the biosphere, seventeen-year-old Somerset Whitman struggles to make sense of a theocratic government that values its own comfort over the lives of its citizens. Yearning to reconcile what she sees and hears on the crowded streets to the official 'States' position, she enters the resistance. There, she learns truths that force her to question family and loyalties. Russell's simple prose allows Somerset to tell you her story through the unblinking eye of a youth emerging into adulthood." - Connie Johnson Hambley, author of The Jessica Trilogy

"The ruined landscapes and corrupt inner sanctums in Carolyn R. Russell's In the Fullness of Time are depicted with a cinematic flair that pairs beautifully with her gift for suspenseful storytelling. A riveting adventure that rockets toward an ending I'm still thinking about. Highly recommended." - Steve Blackwood, actor, director, screenwriter, and author of The Blackwood Sessions

"In the Fullness of Time's dystopian world evokes an evil worthy of its fiery protagonist's rebellion. In Somerset Whitman we have a heroine for the ages: irreverent, compassionate, and unstoppable. In the Fullness of Time is chock-full of indelible characters, and the fast pace of the action makes for a page-turningly addictive read." - Elizabeth Lorayne, author of the Piratess Tilly series and The Historical Heroines Book: Pioneering Women in Science

For "Q & A"

"Clever and captivating, this laugh-out-loud mystery will keep you hooked until the last word. Utterly unputdownable." - Genalea Barker, Author of Life After

"Adjusting to a new town becomes especially hard for a teen once she suspects a service club is up to something sinister in this YA mystery.... An entertaining tale aggrandized by an unshakable protagonist and the family she's thankfully stuck with." - Kirkus Reviews

"Carolyn R. Russell sticks a perfect landing with her humorous mystery, Q&A. Quinn Bard, her smart, plucky protagonist, grants readers a close look into the messy life of a teen girl transplanted from Boston to a small New Hampshire town. The repartee in Quinn's intellectual family is delightful and the young characters are well-drawn and true to life as they go about their adventures. A must-read!" - Edith Maxwell, Agatha Award-winning author of the Quaker Midwife Mysteries

"Q&A is a riveting mystery that unspools a sensational mix of humor and adventure. Especially satisfying is Russell's imaginative exploration of the bonds that bind its spirited heroine, Quinn Bard, and her quirky family. A wonderfully engaging book." - Elizabeth Lorayne, award-winning author of Piratess Tilly

"What could be more enjoyable to YA readers, both young and old, than a fast-paced mystery with a sophisticated plot and characters that are both quirky and relatable? Russell delivers on all points. Quinn Bard struggles to adapt her Boston-urban self to her new rural town and high school. Then she stumbles into a bizarre school "club" gathering. In unraveling its true purpose, Quinn finds kids like herself--smart with a bit of an edge. A funny and exciting romp!" - Connie Johnson Hambley, award-winning author of the Jessica Wyeth series

"Q&A is the ultimate teen adventure recipe: two strongly-bonded sisters, a crew of smart friends, and a small New Hampshire town where a dangerous scientific mystery lurks. A fast and fun rollicking good time!" - Martha Engber, 2021 IPPY Gold Medal Winner in Young Adult Fiction

Some editorial reviews (from industry pros) for any masochists still paying attention.

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