Carol Guess (b. January 3, 1968) is an American novelist and poet. Her family moved frequently during her childhood. Her father, Harry Guess, was a prominent epidemiologist. Her mother, Gerry Guess, is a homemaker and teacher. Guess attended Columbia University, majoring in English while studying ballet. She later earned graduate degrees in Creative Writing and English from Indiana University. Currently Associate Professor of English at Western Washington University, she lives on the Washington coast. She is openly lesbian. Her books Femme's Dictionary and Gaslight were nominated for Lambda Literary Awards. Switch was a finalist for the American Library Association's Stonewall Book Award in 1999.