Sam Tanner is a University of Minnesota alumnus. He graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History, in 2004 with a Masters in Secondary English Education and finally in 2014 with a PhD in Critical Literacy and English Education. After teaching high school in the Twin Cities for almost fifteen years, he moved out east to become a professor in the Penn State University system. When not teaching, Sam raises his two sons, writes books (visit his site for details) and plays video games. Sam says he “tries to make the best of existing in an enormous, complicated universe.”
Q: What’s your coffee order?
A: Large, Black Coffee (I hate calling this “Venti,” but will do so when necessary)
Q: What’s your favorite food?
A: Sushi. Masu is preferable. I miss Minneapolis.
Q: What’s your favorite song right now?
A: Seven Swans by Sufjan Stevens
Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
A: Let’s use some advice from a character in my first novel, Shot Across the River Styx (again, see my shamelessly self-promoted website for details). Anyway, according to that character: Everything is going to be okay.
Q: What’s one thing you love about yourself?
A: I exist.
Q: What’s one thing you’re grateful for?
A: Everything. Who am I to dictate my circumstances?
Q: What’s your catchphrase?
A: “Buy my newest book,” – S. Tanner, 2016 (see here for details)
Flashing back to college, Sam talks about spending the fall of his freshman year reading “War and Peace” and “The Brothers Karamazov” in front of Northrop and playing football with kids from the dorms by the East River Flats. He says there has always been a direct relationship between his community and his scholarship, and that his time at the U has influenced and molded how he carries himself in our society. When Sam taught high school, every class on the first day of each trimester was taught about card houses. When I asked him to explain card houses to me, he said, “I believe human beings are predisposed to destroying things. This is true of a toddler when they see a tower of blocks, a 9th grader when they see a ‘house of cards,’ or an adult when they see somebody doing something strange. Instead of spending energy in destructive ways, we need to overcome our desire to destroy, and figure out how to build together. By we, I am referring to everybody.”