In his debut collection poet John Johnson explores his experiences as a Black man growing up in Washington, D.C., and with the opposite sex. Johnson’s anger and humor are equally persuasive, each mixed with a lyrical levity that illuminates their subjects.
“The poems are filled with wit and wisdom.” - E. Ethelbert Miller
“John Johnson does not make love easy, but the love words flow so easy through him we have space to remember that love is hard.” - Carolivia Herron
“John Johnson’s poems are muscular paintings which afford the reader a window into a landscape where the stakes matter.” - Hanif Abdurraqib
John Johnson is a poet, playwright, native Washingtonian, and the 2018 winner of the DC Poet Project, an open-to-all poetry competition. Johnson is the founder of Verbal Gymnastics Theater Company, and holds a B.A in Theater from the University of the District of Columbia. He has received three artist fellowships from the DC Commission on the Arts, and other honors include participation in “Sounds of the Underground,” a production of the DC Hip Hop Theater festival, and contributing to “Anacostia Unmapped,” a radio project with American University’s WAMU which captures the narratives of residents in rapidly changing communities.
Cover art © Goitseone Moerane