During this episode of the Concordia Publishing House Podcast, listen as Tanner Olson explains his outlook on poetry, prayer, and just being happy to be here.

Tanner is the voice behind writtentospeak.com or @writtentospeak on Instagram. He is also the author of Continue: Poems and Prayers of Hope.

Show Notes:

To Tanner Olson of Written to Speak, poetry is somewhere in between a song and a sermon. In all of his poetry, Tanner hopes that you get the sense that these are words that you’d say to a friend or in a prayer to God. In this episode, Elizabeth and Tanner discuss poetry, prayer, and how they connect in his newest book. Learn how to start reading and digesting poetry, and how to begin using your own voice. Listen to poems from Continue: Poems and Prayers of Hope including: Forget, Like the Sheep, and Consider the Wildflowers.

 Tanner’s Website: https://www.writtentospeak.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/writtentospeak

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tannerJolson

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writtentospeak/ 

Written to Speak on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6VSXq2yYD3n5MFZ5ahIUDZ?si=Mpg3E66ZQcq_wmikYy8ktQ 

Questions Covered:

• How does Tanner’s saying “just happy to be here” help open up conversations about mental health?
• How does his new book, Continue, work towards healthy lamenting but also knowing what it means to keep going?
• What does it mean that Tanner’s work is accessible?
• How do writing prompts help when creating poems?
• What is the significance of the poem and phrase “In All Things”?
• How has Christian poetry been able to reach different demographics inside and outside the church?
• Which experiences on the road have been impactful?
• How do we approach reading poetry?
• What should aspiring writers/poets do to begin their journey?

 About the Guest:

Tanner Olson is an author, poet, and speaker living in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Sarah, and dog, Pancake. For the last decade, Tanner has been writing and speaking about hope, faith, and love to audiences online and across the US. When he isn’t writing, Tanner spends most of his time watching NBA basketball, drinking coffee, being outside, and catching up with friends. For more from Tanner, visit writtentospeak.com or @writtentospeak on Instagram.