
About Chris Cayden
Chris Cayden is a writer, designer, and storyteller drawn to dark folklore, visual atmosphere, and the strange ways old myths survive in modern culture. In The Howl We Inherit, he brings together history, horror, film, folklore, and poetry to explore why the werewolf continues to fascinate us.
Dedication
For my mother,
who gave me a safe place to return to,
no matter how far I wandered
or how dark the woods became.
Teacher Tribute
Before this book found its shape, there were teachers who helped open the door.
Dr. Peter Dumanis
Masters of Horror WritingIn college, Dr. Peter Dumanis and his Masters of Horror Writing class became a catalyst for my love of horror. Through writers like Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley, Stephen King, and Edgar Allen Poe, I began to see horror not only as fear, but as humanity, grief, imagination, survival, and shadow.
Richard Merryman
High school EnglishYears earlier, my high school English teacher, Richard Merryman, introduced me to the classics, including Shakespeare’s sonnets, and helped me get past my fear of public speaking. Both teachers did more than teach class. They gave me a place to escape, to think, and to discover the greats in literature.