poetry podcast – Prolific Pulse Blog

I met with Sarah Merritt Ryan recently to discuss her upcoming book My Soul to Keep.

Have a listen or watch and listen.

About the Book

My Soul to Keep is a deeply personal and spiritually resonant collection of sonnets that explores what it truly means to walk with God through the darkest seasons of life. Written primarily from a Christian perspective, these poems offer an intimate portrait of faith — not as a smooth and effortless journey, but as a living, breathing relationship that is tested, stretched, and ultimately strengthened through suffering.

At the heart of this collection is a profound truth: hardship does not have to destroy us. Long-suffering, when carried in faith, becomes a crucible that deepens our connection to God and shapes us into something more resilient, more compassionate, and more whole. Faith here is not static — it ebbs and flows, wavers and steadies — and that honest portrayal makes these sonnets feel achingly real.

Many of these poems are written from a woman’s perspective, and several speak with quiet courage to the wounds left by broken relationships and the pain inflicted by others. Yet even these most tender and difficult places are held within a larger story of survival and grace.

What ultimately distinguishes this collection is its vision of the final destination of enduring trial — not merely survival, but praise. To give thanks to God in the aftermath of suffering is portrayed here as both an act of healing and an act of liberation. Praise cleanses the heart of bitterness, loosens the grip of the past, and opens the soul to receive what God has always intended: wholeness, peace, and renewed purpose.

My Soul to Keep is for anyone who has ever wrestled with God and refused to let go.

Get your copy: https://www.prolificpulse.com/sarahmerrittryan

About the Author

Sarah Merritt Ryan is a North Carolina native who writes from a Christian perspective on faith and suffering, and this collection of sonnets is her first book. She is a member of the United Church of Christ. Her faith has helped her survive many trials, including her battle with schizophrenia.

Through patience, a refusal to give up, and believing there could be a bigger picture for her life, even when she could not see it, she persisted and did make a full recovery, going on to get married, become a mother, and rebuild her career. She has been symptom-free for 14 years while on medication for life, after having three psychotic breaks in two years.

Through a desire to help others have a better emotional experience than she did, she is now also a writer, speaker, and advocate for emotional recovery from psychotic disorders. Her writings on mental health include poetry, blogging, memoir, fiction, and academic publications.

She has a blog on Psychology Today called Healing Mind: My journey to cognitive and emotional recovery, which is used as training material for resident psychiatrists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) Schizophrenia Treatment and Evaluation (STEP) Program and is republished on the UNC School of Medicine website. She is a Certified Peer Support Specialist who works for the UNC Center for Community Excellence in Mental Health.

She also blogs for Nami.org and Life Effects, a blog by Teva Pharmaceuticals. She has been published twice in Writer’s Digest on topics related to mental illness. She has been published twice in the academic journal, Schizophrenia Bulletin Open. She has a full-length memoir in the works.

She is also a public speaker and NAMI volunteer who was named Hometown Hero in 2024 by the North Carolina Women’s Courage Professional Soccer Team, Lenovo, and NAMI Wake County for her mental health advocacy work in the Raleigh-Durham area. She is also the Parent Advocate for the Wake County Public School System, representing parents living with mental illness.

She has a degree in Journalism from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Master of Science degree in Communication from NCSU.

Her website is sarahmerrittryan.com

Book Launch

If you are in the Raleigh, North Carolina area, you are welcome to join the Book Launch. Registration

We gathered together on Tuesday night to celebrate prolific poetry. I thought I would share this event. There are some announcements included and more.

A Celebration of “Prolific Poets of 2025” #poetrylovers #poetry

We gathered together to celebrate many of the poetry books published in 2025 by Prolific Pulse Press LLC If you see a book or books you would like, the links follow each presenter below or go to https://www.prolificpulse.com/ Be sure to sign up for our mailing list! https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/1262629/142795590456050886/share

Roberta Batorsky is a Biology teacher and freelance science writer. Her poetry reflects her interest in people, their lived experiences and science. She lives in NJ with her husband and has 2 children and 2 grandchildren. she writes with empathy, knowledge and humor and has been published in Heron Clan, Fine Lines, NJ Bards, Delaware Valley Poets and other collections. This is her first book. https://www.prolificpulse.com/robertabatorsky #poetrycollection #poetsofnewjersey #perihelion

Loralee Clark is a writer who grew up learning a love for nature and her place in it, in Maine. She resides in Virginia now as a writer and artist, with two awesome kids and a loving husband. She writes poetry and non-fiction. Myth is her love language. https://www.prolificpulse.com/loraleeclark #myth #poetsofvirginia #solemnity #rites

Zaneta V. Johns is a world-class author of three poetry collections and What Matters Journal. She has co-authored five international bestselling collaborative books and co-edited three poetry anthologies. Johns is an editor of Fine Lines Journal and Women Speakers Association Poet Laureate. Johns resides in Colorado, USA. https://www.prolificpulse.com/zan-johns #poetlaureate #coloradopoets #colorado #awardwinningpoet #poetryeditor

Melissa Lemay lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, with her children and cats. She writes about God, addiction, trauma, healing, motherhood, and many other things. She enjoys spending time with family, drinking good coffee, and being outdoors. She loves animals. Her poem, “Ephemeral,” was chosen as Poetic Publication of the Year for 2023 at Spillwords Press; she was Author of the Month for July 2024 and Author of the Year for 2024. Find her at melissalemay.wordpress, collaborature.blogspot, and at dVerse Poets Pub. https://www.prolificpulse.com/melissalemay #rengay #pennsylvaniapoets #poetrycollection #collaboration #humor

LindaAnn LoSchiavo is a dramatist, writer, and poet. A native New Yorker, LoSchiavo has received nominations for the Pushcart Prize, Rhysling Award, Best of the Net, the IPPY Award, CLMP’s Firecracker Award, Balcones Poetry Prize, and Dwarf Stars. She is a member of Science Fiction Poetry Assoc., The British Fantasy Society, and The Dramatists Guild. She has won Two Awards for Cancer Courts My Mother. https://www.prolificpulse.com/lindaannloschiavo #cancer #grief #caregiving #parentchildrelationship #newyorkpoets #awardwinningpoet

Never until recently did Ken Tomaro consider writing poetry. Not when he slid from the womb. Not when he felt the first tingle of teen hormones. Not after he got married, divorced, moved to another city, lost a couple jobs, moved back. It just sort of happened. Ken Tomaro, self-proclaimed poet laureate of the Cleveland sewer system, has been writing poetry for a few short years. He’s not famous, rich, recognized or read in schools across America. He has been published in several literary journals, done a couple podcasts, started the YouTube channel, Screaming Down the Poetic Highway, and that’s pretty damn impressive. Ken Tomaro.com https://www.prolificpulse.com/kentomaro #poetry #lifesterms #contemporary #ohiopoets