Born in Tuskegee, Alabama, Angela Johnson is an award-winning American children’s picture books and adult novels author with over 40 books to her credit.
Her simple yet poetic content for children talks about African-American history, friendships, and childhood experiences, such as immigrating early. On the other hand, her books for older children (teens and adults) go to a deeper level of thinking and talk about grave issues like divorce and teen pregnancy.
Many of her books have connections to Alabama and Alabama history. However, all of her books have realistic characters and a message of sensitivity, hope, and positivity.
Johnson was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, but moved to Windham, Ohio, with her small family, including her parents and brother. Though she grew up in Windham, Ohio, she would still often visit her grandparents in Alabama, where her grandfather would tell hysterical stories.
Her grandad’s stories made Johnson realize how impactful story-telling can be. In her own words, “I realized early on that stories made life into a theater where people laughed until they cried, were sad, frightened or just plain content. But because I lived in my head — I knew my stories would be written, not spoken.”
So, she started writing in her fourth grade when her mother gave her the right present for Christmas – a diary. Encouraged by her parents’ gift and inspired by her grandfather’s story-telling, Johnson wrote a “punk” poem that her high school literary staff didn’t accept or appreciate. But, it didn’t bring her spirits down; in fact, the rejection fueled her to write more and get better.
However, besides following her passion, she had to choose a more “employable” career path after graduating high school. She thought of becoming a lawyer or teacher, so she joined Kent State University to study special education. She didn’t complete her education and opted to focus on writing instead.
(Angela Johnson was later awarded an honorary doctorate in 2007 by Kent State University.)
After dropping out of the university, Johnson started working as a nanny for renowned author Cynthia Rylant, and that is where she got her big break. She used to watch her two children and write something down between breaks when they were asleep.
Cynthia asked her to share what she had written, which Johnson reluctantly shared. Cynthia loved the writings and forwarded them to her editor at the publishing house, who loved them even more and wanted to publish them.
The publishers then got in touch with Johnson a few months later, and that’s how her book Tell Me A Story, Mama came out in 1989.
That is why Johnson credits her success and big break to Cynthia Rylant.
After writing a couple of picture books for primary grades (K-2), Johnson finally got into writing young adult novels and published her first book Toning The Sweep, in 1993.
But, she didn’t stop writing for young children. In fact, Johnson continued writing until 2013 and wrote across several age groups, which is rare for authors today.
After 1993, she wrote:
This shows her knowledge, creativity, imagination, and talent as a versatile writer.
However, Johnson herself recalled that this wasn’t easy. Johnson describes her work as “character driven” and says that she struggles more with plot formulation than the development of characters. She says that her characters are sometimes based on people she has met and the stories they have shared with her.
She often used characters and plot ideas from stories told to her by complete strangers. For example, an old woman on a bus once told her about the man she’d fallen in love with as a teenager. They were separated by war but stayed in touch, and the woman still had plans to see him again. This became the inspiration for Sweet and Curtis’s characters in Sweet, Hereafter.
Moreover, she was once asked about her writing style and strategy, to which she replied:
Johnson also says of her writing, “I’ve never set out to teach a lesson, to lecture anyone. I just want to tell a good story.”
And she thought of writing as a gratifying experience. When an interviewer asked about how has writing affected her life and did it bring more sacrifices or rewards, Johnsons said:
“I am able to think freely — without hindrances. Staying in my PJ’s has an amazing effect on my creativity. It’s so important to have the time without the noise of the outside coming in. Also, I found one of the rewards of just writing tested my bravery a bit. To survive, eat and pay bills — I had to write. I did that.”
Angela Johnsons’ incredible work got nationwide applause and recognition with some of the most prestigious awards. Here is a list of her accolades:
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Moreover, Jonathan Hunt, chair of the 2018 Margaret Edwards Award committee, praised Johnson’s writing for its timeless, nuanced, elegant craft and broad appeal.
Fellow children’s book author Jacqueline Woodson describes Johnson’s writing style as realistic, engaging, and accessible. She says, “You can tell by reading her work that she takes her time with the narrative and truly cares about the characters.”
But, when asked about how she feels about all the success, awards, and recognition, Johnsons said:
“I measure success by how happy I am on this planet. And I am happy. Awards can stop. I may never get another one. But all the same it is lovely to be thought of. I appreciate that my work has been recognized. But what is more important is to continue to write work that connects with the reader” – this is what Johnson is like: always hungry for more effort that can benefit others.
Learn more about Angela and her books at https://www.ajohnsonauthor.com/
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