Cline was born in Ashland, Ohio, the son of Faye Imogene (Williams) and Ernest Christy Cline.[1] His younger brother, Eric, is a Major in United States Marine Corps, specializing as an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Technician.[3] He is married to poet/nonfiction writer Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz, whom he met at the 1998 National Poetry Slam.[4]