I'm an author, artist, unruly Quaker, serial DIY-er, parent, Star Wars nerd, yogi, dancer, and legal officiant. 

A child of the 70s and 80s, I grew up in Norwich, a very small town in central New York. In my teens, I grappled with clinical depression, anxiety, and an eating disorder. I was hospitalized and started e.d. recovery in 1989, which you can read all about in my book Believarexic. 

After high school, I attended Binghamton University. I loved college and learned as much from social justice activism as I did in the classroom. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Women's Studies. A few years later, I earned a Master of Education from Harvard University. My dad would like you to know that I graduated summa cum laude.

I spent my twenties working with teens in service-learning, social-justice, and counseling programs. My thirties and forties have been dedicated to parenting, writing, and editing. I'm also a trainer for Prescriptions for Repair, a community listening project seeking to repair the harms of gun violence. I'm a facilitator for Restorative Justice Durham, and the Court Companionship Coordinator for Religious Coalition for Nonviolent Durham. I also serve on the Authors Circle of Book Harvest.

Under my pen name, J. J. Johnson, I wrote This Girl is Different, The Theory of Everything, and Believarexic. My books have won numerous honors and have been translated into six languages. I'm currently working on memoir.

Hm. What else. I'm prone to bursting into Snoopy tears when I see beautiful art. I am committed to dismantling racism and white supremacy. I like fixing household appliances. I'm an unruly Quaker. My favorite animal is the echidna. 

I live with my husband, teenage son, and rescued dog in a small house in Durham, North Carolina. There are lots of flowers, weeds, and a Little Free Library in our front yard. 
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