Tom Formaro

Tom Formaro is a writer, drummer, and dad. He lives in Des Moines with is wife and daughter. They have a rescue dog, Evie. Tom is the son of a Sicilian immigrant and an first-generation Italian-American. His family is in the restaurant business and through high school, college, and grad school, he worked in restaurants as everything from a dishwasher to a cook. The Broken Heart Diet is largely based on Tom's kitchen experience. He has published short stories in Spoilage, Akkadian, and SoMa Literary Review. He is also the co-author (with his lovely wife, Rachel) of a children's book, Alfonso, the Christmas Pumpkin. Tom's first full-length collection of poetry, Advice and Other Absurdities for My Daughter, is forthcoming in 2026 from Bridge House Publishing. Some of the poems in that collection appear in Janus Head, Otoliths, dadakuku, Indefinite Space, and Exacting Clam. He also has recently completed a new chapbook, When I Was Marlon Brando. Some of the poems in that collection appear in e·ratio, Utriculi, M58 and TrashLight.