Meg Johnson is an American
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...
and
lecturer
Lecturer is an List of academic ranks, academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. T ...
.
Her poems have appeared in numerous
literary magazines
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry, and essays, along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters ...
, including ''
Midwestern Gothic'',
''
Slipstream Magazine
Slipstream is a literary press, founded in 1980 in Niagara Falls, New York, that publishes poetry and short fiction by both new and established writers. Charles Bukowski
Henry Charles Bukowski ( ; born Heinrich Karl Bukowski, ; August 16, 1920 ...
'',
''
Word Riot
''Word Riot'' was an American online magazine that published poetry, flash fiction, short stories, novel excerpts, creative nonfiction, reviews, and interviews.
History and profile
The magazine was launched in March 2002 by author and publisher ...
'', ''
Hobart
Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...
'', and many others.
Her first collection of poems, ''Inappropriate Sleepover'', was released in 2014, her second collection, ''The Crimes of Clara Turlington'', was released in December 2015.,
and her third book, ''Without: Body, Name, Country'' is due to release in September 2020. She is also the current editor of the ''Dressing Room Poetry Journal''.
Early life and education
Johnson was born and raised in
Ames
Ames may refer to:
Places United States
* Ames, Arkansas, a place in Arkansas
* Ames, Colorado
* Ames, Illinois
* Ames, Indiana
* Ames, Iowa, the most populous city bearing this name
* Ames, Kansas
* Ames, Nebraska
* Ames, New York
* Ames, Ok ...
,
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
.
She enjoyed dance as a child and wrote poems in high school.
She danced with the
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...
dance department in high school and later studied dance at
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago is a Private college, private art college in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1890, it has 5,928https://about.colum.edu/effectiveness/pdf/spring-2021-student-profile.pdf students pursuing degrees in more than 60 undergra ...
and the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...
. Johnson left college early in order to pursue a professional career in dance.
She eventually became a principal dancer at the Kanopy Dance Company, the resident company at the
Overture Center for the Arts
Overture Center for the Arts is a performing arts center and art gallery in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. The center opened on September 19, 2004, replacing the former Civic Center. In addition to several theaters, the center also houses the ...
in
Madison Madison may refer to:
People
* Madison (name), a given name and a surname
* James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States
Place names
* Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
.
During her six years at Kanopy, Johnson returned to school, attending
Madison College and
Edgewood College
Edgewood College is a private Dominican college in Madison, Wisconsin. The college occupies a campus overlooking the shores of Lake Wingra.
History
The Edgewood College property was bought in 1855 by Mr. Ashmead from Governor Leonard J. Farw ...
. There, she was convinced to begin studying writing.
She went on to the
University of Akron
The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classified ...
where she entered and completed the
Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts program (NEOMFA) in creative writing in 2014.
Career
As a dancer at the Kanopy Dance Company, Johnson took on numerous roles and choreographed her own dances.
She became a principal dancer at the company midway through her tenure. She also served as a dance teacher at the Kanopy School for Contemporary Dance and Choreography.
Johnson began submitting poems to literary magazines in 2009 and published her first poem in a 2009 issue of ''Slipstream Magazine''.
As early as 2010, Johnson performed her written work at poetry readings in the Madison area.
Her poems were accepted at publications like ''Slipstream Magazine'', ''Asinine Poetry'', the ''Pacific Coast Journal'', and the ''Edgewood Review''.
In 2011, Johnson became a teaching assistant at the University of Akron where she also studied poetry. She also served as the poetry editor of the ''Rubbertop Review''. She became a NEOMFA candidate at the University of Akron that same year.
By the end of 2012, her poetry had appeared in publications like ''Midwestern Gothic'',
''SOFTBLOW'', the ''Rufous City Review'', ''Wicked Alice'', ''Smoking Glue Gun'', and numerous others.
Johnson's original thesis for the NEOMFA program was picked up by the National Poetry Review Press in 2013. This collection of poems, ''Inappropriate Sleepover'', was released in 2014 by the publisher.
After completing the NEOMFA program in 2014, Johnson went on to become a lecturer in English at Iowa State University.
Her second book, ''The Crimes of Clara Turlington'', was released in December 2015 by the Vine Leaves Literary Journal press.
Johnson is also the current editor of the ''Dressing Room Poetry Journal''.
Writing style
Johnson writes most often in
free verse
Free verse is an open form of poetry, which in its modern form arose through the French ''vers libre'' form. It does not use consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or any musical pattern. It thus tends to follow the rhythm of natural speech.
Definit ...
on topics generally revolving around femininity and the commodification of female bodies. Her writing has been described as both "snarky" and "vulnerable" as it discusses and critiques American cultural norms and the societal expectations of women.
Her poems also make frequent pop culture references to prominent figures including
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
,
Betty Boop
Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick.Pointer (2017) She originally appeared in the ''Talkartoon'' and ''Betty Boop'' film series, which were produced by Fleischer ...
,
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
, and
Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is an American lingerie, clothing, and beauty retailer known for high visibility marketing and branding, starting with a popular catalog and followed by an annual fashion show with supermodels dubbed Angels. As the largest ret ...
.
Johnson has stated that she draws inspiration from
Gurlesque poets like
Chelsey Minnis and
Mary Biddinger
Mary Biddinger (born May 14, 1974, in Fremont, California) is an American poet, editor, and academic.
Biography
Mary Biddinger received an Honors B.A. in English with a Creative Writing Subconcentration from the University of Michigan. She a ...
.
Recognition and awards
Johnson won the 2015 Vignette Collection Award from the Vine Leaves Literary Journal for her book, ''The Crimes of Clara Turlington''. The prize came with the publication of her book and a cash reward.
Her book, ''Inappropriate Sleepover'', was also nominated for the National Poetry Review Press's Rousseau Prize for Literature.
Her poem, "Free Samples" was nominated for "Best of the Net" in 2010.
Works
* ''Inappropriate Sleepover'' (2014, National Poetry Review Press)
* ''The Crimes of Clara Turlington'' (2015, Vine Leaves Literary Journal)
* ''Without: Body, Name, Country''
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Meg
American women poets
University of Akron alumni
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)