John Olson (born August 23, 1947 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American poet and novelist.

Olson has lived for many years in Seattle, Washington.

He has published eleven collections of poetry and five novels, including Souls of Wind, nominated for the 2008 Believer Book Award.

[1] In 2004, Seattle's weekly newspaper, The Stranger, for whom he has written occasional essays, gave Olson one of its annual "genius awards.

[4][5][6] The poet Philip Lamantia said that Olson was "extraordinary...the greatest prose poetry [i've] ever read.