Description:
Cancer is a tough topic—hard to discuss, isolating, and disorienting for those facing it. For Tyler Merritt, a beloved voice in the JHBC community, confronting mortality sparked a fresh perspective on life.
Tyler joins Jen to talk about This Changes Everything, his humorous and heartfelt love letter to life after battling cancer. With his signature humor, pop culture nods, and musical theater references (plus a killer playlist), Tyler weaves candid stories of surgery and treatment with playful asides—think a five-page play about his appendix and Taylor Swift-inspired subtitles.
Things may go off the rails when Jen and Tyler debate whether words like “lovers” and “making love” are officially outdated—we apologize in advance.
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Thought-provoking Quotes:
Because of the way your book is written, in real time and with such urgency, I think 100 people out of 100 will go straight to their phones after finishing the book and Google ”is Tyler Merritt still alive?” – Jen Hatmaker
I found out pretty quickly that I was using a lot of humor to cover my fear. Even in the worst possible scenarios, even though I was sometimes walking with death, it felt like, if I looked around, there was humor. – Tyler Merritt
For people that are in the horrible cancer club, if you have something in your life that has created change in your every day, or something that has made things scary, you’re not alone. You’re blessed to still be here and breathing. – Tyler Merritt
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
This Changes Everything: A Surprisingly Funny Story About Race, Cancer, Faith, and Other Things We Don’t Talk About by Tyler Merritt - https://amzn.to/3Clgwa2
Jen Hatmaker Book Club - https://bit.ly/40KOQ7U
I Take My Coffee Black: Reflections on Tupac, Musical Theater, Faith, and Being Black in America by Tyler Merritt - https://amzn.to/4hjiPcC
Publisher’s Weekly synopsis - https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781546006961
A Door Made for Me by Tyler Merritt - https://amzn.to/4hvCkPn
Cujo - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085382/
Annie - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083564/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_8_tt_2_nm_6_in_0_q_annie
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls - https://amzn.to/4gdEbqG
Train - Drops of Jupiter - https://open.spotify.com/track/2hKdd3qO7cWr2Jo0Bcs0MA
Blackberry Farms - https://www.blackberryfarm.com/
This Changes Everything playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0jFoCxX22lzohvdd2tLfkQ
Sandi Patti - https://www.sandipatty.com/
Taylor Swift - https://www.taylorswift.com/
Prince - https://www.prince.com/
RENT - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0294870/
AUDIOBOOK: This Changes Everything: A Surprisingly Funny Story About Race, Cancer, Faith, and Other Things We Don't Talk About by Tyler Merritt - https://amzn.to/3Cm1YHa
Book People (Austin) - https://www.bookpeople.com/
Parnassus Books (Nashville) - https://www.parnassusbooks.net/
Guest’s Links:
Tyler’s website - https://thetylermerrittproject.com/
Tyler’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetylermerrittproject/
Tyler’s Twitter - https://x.com/ttmproject
Tyler’s Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thetylermerrittproject
Tyler’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPB48_JfK-VMnYQPTYyMX5Q
Connect with Jen!
Jen’s website - https://jenhatmaker.com/
Jen’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker
Jen’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/
Jen’s Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker
Jen’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker
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