Jocelyn Nicole Johnson

American teacher and author

Weatherford Prize (2021)
Library of Virginia Fiction Award (2022)
Lillian Smith Book Award (2022)

Websitewww.jocelynjohnson.com

Jocelyn Nicole Johnson is an American teacher and author.

Biography

Johnson grew up in Reston, Virginia, and attended the Young Writer's Workshop at the University of Virginia while she was still in high school. She graduated from James Madison University^[1] with a Bachelor of Science in Fine Art and Education.^[2] She went on to pursue a career teaching visual arts in public schools, mostly to elementary-aged students, in Harrisonburg City Schools, Arlington County Public Schools, Albemarle County Public Schools, and Charlottesville City Public Schools.^[3]

Johnson attended a number of workshops and residences, including: Provincetown Fine Arts Workcenter, Tin House Summer Workshops, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and Hedgebrook. Johnson's short story, "Control Negro", was anthologized in The Best American Short Stories 2018, guest edited by Roxane Gay, who tweeted that it was "one hell of a story."^[4]

In 2021, Henry Holt published Johnson's debut collection, My Monticello, five short stories and a novella, all set in Virginia, which received positive reviews from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and NPR, among other publications. The New York Times listed My Monticello as one of the 10 best fiction books of 2021^[5] and as a "notable book of the year"^[6] and The Washington Post and NPR also similarly listed Johnson's work as notable and well-loved fiction works^[7]^[8] of the year.

In addition, My Monticello won the 2021 Weatherford Prize,^[9] the 2022 Library of Virginia Fiction Award,^[10] the 2022 Lillian Smith Book Award,^[11] and has been recognized as a finalist for the Kirkus Prize,^[12] National Book Critics Circle Leonard Prize,^[13] the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Prize,^[14] the Balcones Fiction Prize,^[15] the Library of Virginia's Annual Literary Awards,^[16] and the Library of Virginia's People Choice Awards for Fiction.^[17] My Monticello has also been longlisted for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction^[18] and The Story Prize.^[19] My Monticello has also been selected as Virginia's Route 1 Reads selection for 2022.^[20] Johnson's work is mostly set in and around Charlottesville, Virginia, and it explores themes such as racial and environmental anxieties, troubled histories, and complicated notions of home.^[21]^[22]

My Monticello is being adapted for a Netflix film.^[23]^[24]

Bibliography

—— (2021). My Monticello. Henry Holt and Co.^[25]

References

^ "Warm up with these JMU reads". jmu.edu. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
^ "Jocelyn Nicole Johnson LinkedIn".^{[unreliable source?]}
^ Fitzgerald, Isaac (September 28, 2021). "It's Never Too Late to Publish a Debut Book and Score a Netflix Deal". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
^ "Writing past wrongs: Author Jocelyn Johnson looks for new American truths". C-VILLE Weekly. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
^ "100 Notable Books of 2021". The New York Times. November 22, 2021. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
^ "100 Notable Books of 2021". The New York Times. November 22, 2021. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
^ "Literary fiction dominates Maureen Corrigan's 2021 Best Books list". NPR.org. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
^ "Review | 50 notable works of fiction". Washington Post. November 18, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
^ "Current Winners of the Weatherford Award for Best Books about Appalachia". Loyal Jones Appalachian Center. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
^ Staff reports (October 17, 2022). "Dove, Eastman, Johnson top winners at Library of Virginia Literary Awards". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
^ "2022 Lillian Smith Book Awards Recognize Short Story Collection, Nonfiction Book for Furthering Social Justice | UGA Libraries". libs.uga.edu. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
^ "Finalists for 2021 Kirkus Prize Are Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
^ "Announcing the Finalists for the National Book Critics Circle Awards". National Book Critics Circle. January 21, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
^ Fhernandez. "L.A Times Book Prizes 2022". Festival of Books. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
^ "Balcones Prize | Creative Writing Department". sites.austincc.edu. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
^ "Library of Virginia Annual Library of Virginia Literary Awards". lva.virginia.gov. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
^ "Library of Virginia Annual Library of Virginia Literary Awards". lva.virginia.gov. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
^ "My Monticello | The PEN/Faulkner Foundation". penfaulkner.org. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
^ May, Abby. ""My Monticello" announced as Sweet Briar's 2022-23 Common Read". sbc.edu. Sweet Briar College. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
^ "Virginia Center for the Book – Route1Reads". route1reads.org. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
^ Fitzgerald, Isaac (September 28, 2021). "It's Never Too Late to Publish a Debut Book and Score a Netflix Deal". The New York Times.
^ "How Charlottesville inspired short stories on race, terror and survival". Los Angeles Times. October 5, 2021.
^ Jackson, Angelique (September 23, 2021). "Chernin Entertainment to Adapt Jocelyn Nicole Johnson's Novella 'My Monticello' for Netflix (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
^ Murray, Dominga (September 28, 2021). "Charlottesville author's book featured by Netflix". nbc29.com.
^ Davis, Bridgett M. (October 4, 2021). "Jocelyn Nicole Johnson Makes Virginia's Past Present in 'My Monticello.'". The New York Times.