Robert James Waller (August 1, 1939 – March 10, 2017) was an American author, professor, photographer, and musician best known for his novel The Bridges of Madison County. Waller's work achieved significant success; The Bridges of Madison County not only topped the New York Times bestseller list in 1993 but also inspired a major motion picture. His subsequent novel, Puerto Vallarta Squeeze, released in 1995, was also adapted into a film, further cementing Waller's impact on both literature and cinema.