I write books for young people and essays for adults.
I write about justice, equality, and mental health because I dream of a world where everyone belongs.
J. J. Johnson (she/her) is a writer, editor, artist, and youth mentor.
She grew up queer and neurodivergent in a small town in central New York in the time before people knew that smart, well-behaved girls could have ADHD, anxiety, and OCD. At fifteen, J. J. was hospitalized for an eating disorder, taking pains to stabilize her health and commit to e.d. recovery.
She went on to study history at Binghamton University, later earning a Master of Education in Adolescent Risk and Prevention from Harvard.
She then moved with her partner to Durham, NC, where she resumed her career in youth mentorship and advocacy - and continued writing.
Her young-adult novels Believarexic, The Theory of Everything, and This Girl is Different have received numerous awards and have been translated into six languages. She also writes weekly essays about justice, life, and spirituality at Notes from an Unruly Quaker.
J. J. is a non-dogmatic Quaker whose core values include justice, equality, community, simplicity, anti-racism, and integrity. This means she's a harsh critic of systems but a big softie toward people.
J. J. loves to learn, read, listen, observe, throw dance parties, laugh, teach, conspire, collaborate, explore, build, paint, read, hike, roller-skate, daydream, and eat cookie dough.
She's grateful you're here.
She grew up queer and neurodivergent in a small town in central New York in the time before people knew that smart, well-behaved girls could have ADHD, anxiety, and OCD. At fifteen, J. J. was hospitalized for an eating disorder, taking pains to stabilize her health and commit to e.d. recovery.
She went on to study history at Binghamton University, later earning a Master of Education in Adolescent Risk and Prevention from Harvard.
She then moved with her partner to Durham, NC, where she resumed her career in youth mentorship and advocacy - and continued writing.
Her young-adult novels Believarexic, The Theory of Everything, and This Girl is Different have received numerous awards and have been translated into six languages. She also writes weekly essays about justice, life, and spirituality at Notes from an Unruly Quaker.
J. J. is a non-dogmatic Quaker whose core values include justice, equality, community, simplicity, anti-racism, and integrity. This means she's a harsh critic of systems but a big softie toward people.
J. J. loves to learn, read, listen, observe, throw dance parties, laugh, teach, conspire, collaborate, explore, build, paint, read, hike, roller-skate, daydream, and eat cookie dough.
She's grateful you're here.