Tod Marshall was born in Buffalo, New York, and he grew up in Wichita, Kansas. He studied English and philosophy at Siena Heights University, earned an MFA from Eastern Washington University, and graduated with his PhD from The University of Kansas. He directs the writing concentration and coordinates the visiting writers series at Gonzaga University. He enjoys backpacking and fishing and spends about a month of every year in a tent. From 2016-2018, he served as the Washington State Poet Laureate.