Journalism
Carl Knauf spent over two decades in professional media before joining CU Boulder. Yet, the reporting itch remains, as he still serves as a stringer for Colorado Community Media and a freelance features journalist. He worked primarily as an arts and features reporter and columnist for the Albuqeurque Journal and sports reporter and columnist for the Rio Rancho Observer, but also has contributed as a business, city and general assignment reporter for various outlets. In addition, he has served as a copy editor, senior editor, online site manager, and online NHL and NCAAB reporter and columnist.
The best compliment he received from a reader is that his writing was “true.”
The best compliment he received from an established mainstream journalist and bestselling author was that his writing was “beautiful.”
The best compliment he received from a high-profile celebrity source during an interview was, “Thanks for this; it’s nice to know you know me, because 95% of the people who interview me don’t know who the f*** I am.”
Literary Fiction
FORGOTTEN KIDS (Laurie Costello)- A young man reminisces of his fading generation and the trauma caused by an outcast’s quivering trigger finger at his high school.
Genre Fiction
A SPOILED GAME: A JACK SWIFT CASE- The most prized diamonds in the world aren’t just a representation of flawless beauty; they also serve as an untraceable form of payment, and Jack Swift must steal them to clear his name.
CURSED: A JACK SWIFT CASE- The T206 baseball card set is one of the most famed, and cursed, collectibles in the world, and though Jack Swift is after the full assortment for a hefty payday, he unearths the ugly collusion between the mob, gambling, and a little voodoo.
CROOKED GOLD: A JACK SWIFT CASE- Jack Swift baits his rival detective, Jim Beckett, in a cat-and-mouse chase around the world, discovering the truth behind San Miguel and a historic haul of gold for the taking.
Short Fiction
UNHAPPY ENDINGS: Paddy Costello #2- A young woman is found beaten to death in the desert along with a cryptic message. Paddy Costello must unravel a city-wide conspiracy before more victims suffer a similar demise.
THE TAVERN– Patrons of a tavern find themselves pitted against a looming and unknown force threatening their lives. They are in a race against time to escape before the building crumbles around their heads. Or perhaps they’re just drunk. Who knows.
AND THEN THERE SHE WAS: Paddy Costello #1– Paddy Costello must solve a murder to save his life, but the only problem is he’s working for the man who wants him dead.
THE VILLAGE OF WICKED CREEK: Volume #1– In these collaborative horror shorts, remember the five rules of the creepy world of Wicked Creek: The residents don’t like visitors, they don’t like mischief, never stay out after the clock tower’s bell has rung, nothing is the way that it seems, and don’t get drawn into the sad shriek of a violin.
Academic Journal Articles
YOU’RE BEING KINDA PUSHY– Research article exploring how mainstream news outlets frame push notifications as credible clickbait to directly engage with their audiences, illustrating how push notifications shape readers’ immediate perception of content and serve as a resource for journalists to increase audience interaction.
LA LA LA, I’M NOT LISTENING (BUT I REALLY AM)– Research article analyzing the use of the lyric “la la la” in mainstream rock and pop, starting in 1960 until 2023. Is the lyric more than a catchy hook? Does it complement the meaning of the song?
HE WAS DEREK RAYMOND– Research article dissecting the black novel and one of the most heinous crimes in entertainment history in Derek Raymond’s work I Was Dora Suarez. The author is widely considered the founder of British Noir, and this paper also explores his philosophy and style and how he revolutionized the genre.
THE TRUTH IS IN THE CHALK- Research paper focusing on literary journalism and how the craft’s storytelling techniques have transitioned from print to serialized podcasts in order to stay relevant in modern media, most exemplified through true crime. The discipline has stayed alive through our obsession with death.
Carl Lawrence Knauf 