Just a heads up, if you go to Dr. Caroline Bicks’ website, which you absolutely should, be warned, you will leave feeling that you haven't accomplished anything with your life! Shakespeare scholar, New York Times contributor, podcaster, playwright, and actor. Oh, Stephen E. King Chair at the University of Maine. Did we forget to mention that one? It was as the Chair that Caroline’s orbit crossed with that of the Master of Fear himself. The result was a year spent at the King household, combing through his private archives to write what is now one of our favorite books of 2026. “Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King” is everything you’re looking for in a deep dive into King’s early works, but it’s so much more than that. If you love King, horror, or just a beautifully written exploration of literature, you must get this book.

Caroline was kind enough to join Paper Cuts to discuss the fateful phone call she received from King, four years after becoming the Stephen E. King Chair at UMaine, that set her on the path to writing the book. The stories she has of her time at the King household are amazing, and you’ll get a deeper appreciation of both King’s work and of the man himself. Caroline is a fantastic storyteller, and we could have talked for hours (if not days). You’ll be amazed at how much fun this conversation turned out to be.