J.W. Ocker is an award-winning American author specializing in macabre travel stories, scary children's books, and horror novels. His notable works include Poe-Land: The Hallowed Haunts of Edgar Allan Poe, which won an Edgar Award in 2015, as well as The New England Grimpendium and The New York Grimpendium, both recipients of the Lowell Thomas Award. He is also the author of A Season with the Witch: The Magic and Mayhem of Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts and novels such as Death and Douglas and Twelve Nights at Rotter House.
In addition to his publications, Ocker is the creator of the site OTIS: Odd Things I've Seen (oddthingsiveseen.com), where he shares his visits to unusual places related to culture, art, nature, and history around the world. His writings have been published in media such as CNN.com, The Atlantic, Rue Morgue, The Boston Globe, The Guardian, and TIME. Originally from Maryland, he has lived for over a decade in New Hampshire with his wife and three daughters, and celebrates Halloween for two months every year.
