Leah Johnson (writer)
Leah Johnson is an American writer. Her debut novel You Should See Me In A Crown (2020) received critical acclaim, including a Stonewall Book Honor. Her second book Rise to the Sun was released in 2021.[2]
Leah Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 5, 1994[1] |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Indiana University Bloomington (BA) Sarah Lawrence College (MFA) |
| Genre | young adult |
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Notable works | You Should See Me In A Crown (2020) |
| Notable awards | Stonewall Book honor (2021) |
| Website | |
| www | |
Early life and education
Johnson was raised on the west side of Indianapolis, Indiana.[1][3] She was an avid reader from childhood.[3] Johnson went on to be the editor-in-chief of her high school's newspaper as well as a tennis player and a member of the show and concert choirs.[3][4] While in college at Indiana University Bloomington, she interned at the Wall Street Journal, WFIU, and WPLN.[3][5] Johnson received her MFA in fiction writing from Sarah Lawrence College.[4]
Career
Johnson began the manuscript for her debut novel You Should See Me In A Crown in 2018 as a graduate student at Sarah Lawrence College.[1] After publishing an Electric Literature essay about the dearth of diverse YA literature, editor Sarah Landis reached out to help her craft a book proposal.[5] You Should See Me In A Crown centers a Black queer teenager who runs for Prom Queen to win a college scholarship.[2] Johnson described the book as "very much an homage to the work that I love the most...John Hughes movies of the eighties, the teen romantic comedies of the late '90s, early aughts... I love those stories so much and wanted to see someone like me reflected in them as more than a sidekick."[2]
Published in 2020 by Scholastic, the book received critical acclaim.[3] It received a Stonewall Book honor and was selected as Reese Witherspoon's first YA book of the month, among other accolades.[1][6]
Her second novel Rise to the Sun was released on July 6, 2021.[7] The book is about "two girls named Toni and Olivia who both go to a music festival and search for two very different things."[3]
Personal life
Johnson resides in Brooklyn.[3] She identifies as queer, and came to accept her sexuality while writing her debut novel You Should See Me In A Crown.[1]
References
- Gerike, Lydia (2020-07-05). "'Black joy is at the heart of' author and Indianapolis native Leah Johnson's YA novel". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Thomad, Summer (2021-02-14). "Author Leah Johnson On Being Young, Black, Queer And In Love". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Dorantes, Jorge (2020-08-20). "Q&A With Y.A. Sensation Leah Johnson". Indianapolis Monthly. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Aceves, Aaron H. (2020-06-06). "Q&A With Leah Johnson, You Should See Me in a Crown". We Need Diverse Books. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Grey, Idris (2020-06-26). "Spring 2020 Flying Starts: Leah Johnson". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Moscato-Goodpaster, Robert (2020-09-08). "Local Author Leah Johnson's book 'You Should See Me In A Crown' Becomes First YA Pick For Reese Witherspoon's Book Club". WFYI Public Media. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
- "Rise to the Sun". shop.scholastic.com. Retrieved 2021-06-05.