Paul Russell is the author of The Angels Came to Sodom in the Evening (forthcoming Fall, 2026) and seven previous novels. Two were awarded the Ferro-Grumley Award for Fiction, one was chosen as one of the 100 Best Gay and Lesbian Novels by the Triangle Publishing Group, and three were finalists for the Lambda Literary Award. His novels might best be described as dreamy reconstructions of half-recalled nightmares.
He grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, in a neighborhood called Scenic Hills. After graduating from Raleigh-Egypt High School in 1974, he attended Oberlin College in Ohio, and also spent time in Germany and London. He then went on to study at Cornell University, earning an MFA in Creative Writing in 1982 and a PhD in English in 1983. He has taught at Vassar College, The College of William & Mary, and the University of Exeter.
