NORWICH – Norwich native and author J.J. Johnson will return to her hometown and alma mater Thursday, making a pair of appearances at the High School and the First Edition Book Store to discuss her first novel, “This Girl is Different.”
Students at NHS will have an opportunity to hear Johnson’s story at a special presentation at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow in the auditorium, followed by a smaller, creative writing seminar at 12:15 p.m. From 5 to 7:30 p.m., the author will hold a reading and book-signing at the First Edition Book Store, 13 South Broad St.
According to the author, who now lives in North Carolina, the trip is both a celebration of her recent success and a homecoming as well.
“It’s very important to me and I think it’s amazing that Norwich has an independent book store, and has had one for so many years, like the First Edition,” said Johnson. “In the 20 years since I graduated, I’ve only been back once, for my high school reunion, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Johnson, who graduated from NHS in 1991, said she’d always wanted to be an author. Five years ago, she decided it was time to step up to the plate or call it quits. In fact, “This Girl is Different” is actually the second novel she’s written, although the first published.
“It’s been a slug in the sense that it took four years, but now things are happening really quickly,” said the author, whose first work, “Random,” will be released this fall. “I finally decided it was time to do it or stop talking about it.”
According to Johnson, “This Girl is Different” tells the tale of a young, home-schooled student named Evie, who decides to spend her senior year in a public high school and “see what all the fuss is about,” in part to research the differences between the school and her previous, counterculture lifestyle, but also because she’s – just a little bit – curious about the “typical” high school experience.
Once Evie witnesses the kind of social injustices that plague your average high school, however, she decides to take matters into her own hands. Unfortunately, she finds that the revolution you start can – sometimes – “turn around and bite you real quick,” said Johnson.
The school which Evie attends in the story bears many similarities to NHS, said the author, who tapped into her memories as a student there as inspiration for the book.
“It’s a fictionalized NHS,” she added. “Everyone always asks me, are real people represented in the book? Is Evie you? But a good writer doesn’t write about the people she knows, she writes about human nature and creates a fictional story about a place that she knows well.”
Lisa Mody, owner of the First Edition, said she’s looking forward to meeting the talented author.
“I’m excited about this one, it’s a great young adult story and a really intelligent story,” said Mody. “People seem quite interested in the book. I’ve read it, and I was thrilled when I realized just how great the story really is.”
For more information on author J.J. Johnson visit www.jjjohnsonauthor.com.