About the Author

When Tom Bonine retired in 2017, at the top of his bucket list was publishing a book of nearly twenty years worth of poems. His poetry was not planned. Following the suicide death of his eldest son in 1998, writing poetry was an important therapeutic tool to work through his grief. Over time his poems evolved into introspective observations on the world around him. 

His first book, Things That Come To Mind, was published in 2020. Two more poetry books, The Chalk Art Collection and The Grandchildren: Things That Came To Their Minds, followed that. Tom then took an exciting literary turn by leaving the world of rhymes and authoring his first fiction book. Rocking Chair Tales, released in early 2025, is a unique collection of ten short narratives consisting of five ghost stories and five American West and Tennessee frontier tales. An avid historian and genealogist, Tom's stories carry the heart of those two passions into the characters and locales of each story. 

Tom was raised in Hinsdale, IL, and earned degrees in Journalism and Radio and Television from Michigan State University. He and his wife, Debbie, live in East Tennessee on the Cumberland Plateau where his family roots were planted over two hundred years ago.