W. Scott Poole is the author of numerous books and articles on race, religion and popular culture in America. His latest book is Monsters in America from Baylor University Press, which explores the American fascination with vampires, zombies, serial killers and even sea serpents, showing how these creatures of our dark obsessions help us to understand the dark and forboding places in American history.
Poole regularly writes book and film reviews for PopMatters.com, an international magazine of cultural criticism. He is currently writing a book about 1950s horror host and Ed Wood star "Vampira" that explores the history of American sexuality, gender relations and the rebirth of the gothic in post-WW2 America. Poole is also an associate professor of History at the College of Charleston where he teaches courses on monsters in American history, Satan in folk belief and pop culture and the history of religion and race in American life .