Tom Spanbauer was an American writer whose work often explored issues of sexuality, race, and the ties that bind disparate people together. Raised in Idaho, Spanbauer lived in Kenya and across the United States. He later resided in Portland, Oregon, where he taught a course titled "dangerous writing".

Spanbauer graduated in 1988 from Columbia University with an MFA in Fiction. He is the critically acclaimed author of five published novels: Faraway Places, The Man Who Fell In Love With The Moon, In The City Of Shy Hunters, Now Is The Hour, and I Loved You More. His works are notable for their combination of fresh and lyrical prose style with solid storytelling.

As a teacher, his innovative approach combined close attention to language with a large-hearted openness to what he calls 'the sore place'—that place within each of us that is the source for stories that no one else can tell. His introductory workshop was an underground legend among emerging writers in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

The community of writers that formed around him is dedicated to the proposition that "Fiction is the lie that tells the truth truer."

Tom lived, wrote, and taught in Portland, Oregon.