Todd Johnson

Where is that pounding coming from?

2011-08-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

We are putting a new roof on our old, old, old house. This is no longer a choice. Hammering is going to happen all too soon. There will be no reading except at night. There will be no writing except at night. There will be no thinking except at night. That leaves eating and worrying about the work I'm not doing. My novel and I are looking for asylum.

National Gerontological Nursing Association

2010-10-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

Through the generosity of my publisher, HarperCollins, copies of The Sweet By and By were given to 200 attendees of the 2010 National Gerontological Nursing Association Convention held earlier this month in Palm Springs. Included below is my letter to the delegates. I share it for the sake of the thousands of nurses who were not in attendance.

October 12, 2010

Dear Nurses,

Please accept my warmest greetings on the cusp of the 2010 National Gerontological Nurses Association Convention. Thanks to the generosity of my publisher, HarperCollins, I’m delighted to share with you my recent novel THE SWEET BY AND BY.

As I indicated in a special Author’s Note included in the paperback edition, while the novel is not autobiographical, it is at its core a love letter to my two grandmothers. From the time I was a toddler growing up in North Carolina, my grandmothers were an intimate and integral part of my life. Toward the end of their lives, both spent time in nursing homes, one when she was in well into her nineties, and the other as a much younger woman in her sixties, when she was unfortunately riddled with illness to the extent that she was simply no longer able to live alone.

When I visited them in their respective elder care facilities, which I did often, I found that I wanted to make notes about things they said and did. I had no thought of ever writing a work of fiction, but rather wanted to collect private reflections about two women whom I loved deeply. Of course, part of that experience also entailed getting to know personally many of the extraordinary caregivers in whose hands my grandmothers found themselves. I have many memories of those days, some heartwarming, some painful, others -- many in fact -- hilarious.

My hope in writing THE SWEET BY AND BY was to give the most authentic voices I could to a group of women whose stories are rarely heard and whose actions are invisible but whose lives are nonetheless vibrant. I have received hundreds of letters from family members of aging loved ones as well as RNs, LPNs, and CNAs all over America who most often thank me for simply “seeing” them. This is a gift I never could have imagined, and a sampling of these letters is included at the end of the book. If I have in any way honored the selfless commitment of nurses such as yourselves, then I am rewarded beyond measure as an author.

If you’d like to share thoughts or stories of your own after reading the book, please do write to me at: Todd@ToddJohnsonBooks.com. I’d love to hear from you.

All best wishes to you for a successful convention along with my thanks for your service. I believe that our nation’s elderly belong to all of us, and your dedication is an inspiration when it comes to protecting and celebrating the treasure that they are.

Kindest regards,

Todd Johnson

AudioFile review of "The Sweet By and By"

2010-10-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

Hats off to Lois Smith, Adriane Lenox, Becky Ann Baker, and Robin Miles! These women brought more than I could have ever imagined to Margaret, Bernice, Lorraine, Rhonda, and April. Read the review here.

Last week of summer...

2010-08-30T12:00:00.001-07:00

Everything slows down in the summer, including (for me) blogging.

Spent the whole gorgeous (and occasionally REALLY hot) summer at home in NW Connecticut except for two trips -- one to Greenwood, Mississippi to the movie set for "The Help" (it's going to be wonderful) and the other to stunning Dewees Island, SC. Dewees is a special place - the bulk of the island is a nature preserve so it has the (long-lost) look of the barrier islands of forty years ago. No cars or paved roads. Ate the best fried shrimp of my life at The Wreck, an unmarked restaurant on Isle of Palms (not so easy to find in the dark without a GPS, I might add). Also, took part in a loggerhead inventory on the beach three days after a nest had hatched. There was one hatchling still in the nest, and watching that little one determinedly make its way into the crashing waves made me vow never to say that writing a novel is hard work.

Also, plenty of slow days for books. Here are a few of my summer reads: "Shadow Country," by Peter Matthiessen (spent a week canoeing in the Everglades this past spring so this one had special resonance for me); "Ferris Beach," by Jill McCorkle (a favorite author's lovely story of a young girl's coming of age in the 70s); "The Writings of a Savage" (letters of Paul Gauguin); "The Heaven of Mercury," by Brad Watson (a Southern writer's beautiful first novel, set in Mississippi); "The Nashville Sound," by Paul Hemphill (research for my own novel-in-progress); and "The Farther Reaches of Human Nature," by A.H. Maslow (just because).

Enjoy what's left of the warm days, and eat tomatoes every chance you get.

A SIBA Best Seller in Week One!

2010-04-07T12:27:00.000-07:00

Thanks to SIBA (Southern Indie Booksellers) for making "The Sweet By and By" a paperback best seller in its first week! Look forward to seeing many of you next week when I start my tour!

Watch the new video!

2010-03-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

Right on time for the release of "The Sweet By and By" in paperback, there's a brand new video!

It includes a few of the incredible letters I've received from readers. Enjoy!

A National "Best Reads" Pick

2010-02-08T08:20:00.000-08:00

"The Sweet By and By" was selected as one of four "Best Reads" by syndicated columnist Sharon Randall of Scripps Howard News Service in Washington, D.C. Her weekly column is distributed to some 400 newspapers and an estimated 6 million readers nationwide.

"The Sweet By and By" by Todd Johnson: "Hilarious and heartrending...If I live long enough, I want Lorraine to be my nurse, April to handle my affairs, Margaret and Bernice as my bunkmates, and I surely hope Rhonda can do my hair. Also, if my life were a book, I'd want Todd Johnson to write it." - Sharon Randall, Scripps Howard News Service

Thank you, Salt Lake County Libraries!

2010-02-03T15:02:00.000-08:00

The Sweet By and By is a 2010 "Reader's Choice" nominee in the Salt Lake County Library system. Click here for details.

Amazing! An All-Star Audiobook

2010-01-26T08:23:00.000-08:00

I'm stunned by the team of stars that has come together THIS WEEK to record "The Sweet By and By" as an audiobook.

The role of "Margaret" is performed by the legendary LOIS SMITH whose 50-year career began in "East of Eden" with James Dean in 1955. Lois received the Drama Desk Award for her portrayal of Carrie Watts in "The Trip To Bountiful," one of my favorite plays of all time, and is well known to television audiences as a star of HBO's "True Blood."

"Lorraine" is read by ADRIANE LENOX, Tony Award winner for her performance in "Doubt" and currently featured in the box office hit "The Blind Side." Reading the role of "Rhonda" is Broadway, film and television veteran BECKY ANN BAKER, star of NBC's Emmy Award-winning "Freaks and Geeks." Rounding out the cast as "April" is multiple Audiofiles Earphones Award winner ROBIN MILES.

I've gotten to hear a few short samples so far, hot out of the recording studio, and I'll tell you this: these women have taken the book to a place beyond anything I could imagine.

"The Sweet By and By" will be released in audiobook and trade paperback simultaneously in April 2010. Both are available for pre-order now through all the usual outlets. Enjoy!

Susan B. Anthony Project Luncheon

2009-09-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

For my friends in the Northwest Corner, I've been invited to be a guest speaker at the Susan B. Anthony Project Luncheon at the Torrington Country Club in Goshen, CT on November 14 at 12 noon. The Susan B. Anthony Project promotes safety, healing and growth for all survivors of domestic and sexual abuse and advocates for the autonomy of women and the end of interpersonal violence.

I'm deeply honored to be the first male ever to have been invited to speak at this event. Click here to learn more about the tremendous work of this organization.

Note: This is a ticketed event. Contact: Hickory Stick Bookshop at 860-868-0525 for details.

Home from the South

2009-09-16T05:21:00.000-07:00

Had a GREAT time at the 2009 Decatur Book Festival. Daren Wang and company do an unbelievable job of welcoming writers and everyone else who loves books. I was on a panel with two friends and wonderful authors, Susan Rebecca White and Kathryn Stockett. Susan also put together an AMAZING dinner party for us in her home with her husband Alan Deutschman, whose new book Walk the Walk just hit the shelves. Next I headed up to Fripp Island, SC for a few solitary writing days and time to watch ospreys and egrets. Then off to the NC Lit Festival in Chapel Hill for another great weekend, thanks to Amy Baldwin and Mary Beth Hollman. I swear that place only gets more and more beautiful. A few things I ate: fried okra, pork barbecue, creamed corn, homemade pimento cheese, shrimp and grits, peach cobbler, hushpuppies, country ribs, cheddar pecan waffles, and pound cake (a whopping wedge of which made it into my carry-on).

Rosie's Book Picks

2009-08-31T06:39:00.000-07:00

Who knew? "The Sweet By and By" is one of Rosie O'Donnell's Book Picks on rosie.com. Click here to check it out. She has no clue that I was on her show back in the day singing backup for Manilow. Music and passion were always the fashion...

TV Interview on "Bookwatch"

2009-08-26T06:08:00.000-07:00

"NC Bookwatch" is a great program produced by UNC-TV that features NC authors, many of whom are my own literary heroes -- Reynolds Price, Allan Gurganus, Lee Smith...the list goes on. It's a full half-hour, which means that it's a lot more in-depth than any TV interview I've ever done, so feel free to fast forward! You won't miss much, except the part where I nervously knock over a mug full of ice water, drenching myself and the host. Kidding. CLICK HERE to have a look.

"Sweet" Photo...

2009-08-26T05:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the KSS Book Club and Donna Wright for the great photo! I love the "OPEN" sign -- a perfect caption!

Post-Vacation

2009-08-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

Twenty-four hours back at home is usually enough to annihilate any amount of vacation bliss. I'm fighting that hourly by closing my eyes whenever I hear the familiar noise of my life, trying to remember every detail of relaxed days away. I'm lucky to have a summer birthday because it usually means I'm traveling. This year, in Provence(!), I went horseback riding, galloping through vineyards, clouds of red field dirt trailing behind me. It gave new meaning to leaving something (or someone) behind in the dust. All I had to do was get on and go.

Before I left the country, I wrote about doing a reading from The Sweet By and By for the first time in a retirement community that included a nursing home facility. When my host suggested that we add the event to my calendar, I eagerly accepted. Then, standing in the parking lot prior to going inside, I panicked. What if the residents found me presumptuous about their experience? I had never lived what they were living. I looked up from the podium constantly, searching for signals. Outsider or insider? Accepted or rejected? When I took off my reading glasses (I do need them and not just for effect), I was met with big smiles and big laughter and bigger applause (and yes, some people even woke up). And then I got it. It wasn't the book, and definitely not me. They were clapping for themselves. The only thing I had done was try to see them, and they were grateful to be seen. One woman with shining blue eyes told me of a winter romance when she and her late husband met in their eighties. A soft-spoken man told me, through tears, of being homesick when he was sent to Chapel Hill (my alma mater), his first time ever away from home, to study meteorology for a short time before being shipped off to war. For each person, a story. And finally, another elegantly dressed old soul asked during the Q and A, "How long does it take to get a book published?" I tried to answer, but what do I know, really? She raised her hand again and asked the same question. Five times in a row she raised her hand and asked exactly the same thing. And I loved the fact that each time she asked, it was as though she had thought of a brand new idea. Which is more than I can say for the author.

For Book Clubs

2009-06-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

I dropped by the book club of First United Methodist Church of Stamford, CT a few days ago and asked them to send me a photo. A great time and lively conversation all around!

If you live in Connecticut or New York City, I'd be happy to visit your club too. Otherwise, I often call in to chat via speaker phone. Either way, feel free to go to my website to set something up.

Nurses and Caregivers

2009-06-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted much of late. I've been getting back to work on the next book and also doing some traveling. I just came home from Ball State University where I was invited to speak by the amazing Kathryn Kennison, who directs the E.B. and Bertha Ball Center on campus (above). In addition to other events, I read from "The Sweet By and By" for the very FIRST TIME in a nursing home in Indiana. More on that soon in another post; there's too much to say. It profoundly changed the way I think about my own novel.

I've been surprised to receive so many letters from nurses and caregivers in the past number of weeks. Recently, several have written to tell me that they are using "The Sweet By and By" as a teaching tool in gerontological nursing programs. I can only feel stunned and grateful. I've also gotten letters from several readers who, either through their churches or social service organizations, have used the book to conduct workshops for long-term caregivers. Thank you for telling me your stories -- they mean more to me than you could know.

The Sweet By and By in PEOPLE

2009-05-21T11:42:00.001-07:00

PEOPLE Magazine picked The Sweet By and By as a "Great Read for Your Book Club" -- so thanks to those book clubs who have already invited me to phone in. I love having the chance to talk to you. And if you haven't yet made a date, just click here to go to my website.

I just spent an amazing week in Lowcountry SC working on the next book. Glad to be home, but I miss the shrimp. Happy Memorial Day weekend! Barbecue something.

Todd Johnson on WNPR's "Faith Middleton Show"

2009-05-04T13:16:00.000-07:00

I was beyond flattered to be a guest on "The Faith Middleton Show" last week on WNPR in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York, joining an amazing list of authors whom Faith has interviewed in her 29 years on the air. Click here to listen. I'm the final interview, beginning at approximately 34:00 minutes into the broadcast.

AARP Bulletin Feature

2009-04-23T11:40:00.001-07:00

The Sweet By and By is currently featured in the AARP Bulletin, along with an author interview. Check out this link.

Home From Tour!

2009-04-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

I haven't been great about posting anything at all since I hit the road, but I'm home now and catching up. Traveling through NC and SC was wonderful --- let's start with the azaleas, dogwoods, and wisteria. And from there, go to fried creek shrimp, pork barbecue, and pound cake. Enough said; I'm unpacking my running shoes now. Thanks to all the terrific bookstores that hosted me!

Above, at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, NC. Thanks for an amazing turnout of 125 people; we were looking for more chairs!

2009-04-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

The Norfolk Library in CT.

2009-04-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

The Read-a-Lattes Book Club at "21 and Main" in Elkin, NC --- a fabulous restaurant owned by Emily Morrison, who moved up from Charleston.

2009-04-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

Speaking to communications students at Coker College in SC.

2009-04-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

Burry Bookstore luncheon in Hartsville, SC, hosted by Emily Phillips.