Doris Johnson
Author of Seven BooksAdula Island
Slave Trade Interrupted
The Immigrant
The Lifer
Bunny, Queen of the Garden
Poems and Stories of Real Life
The Mansion
Video about the rabbit that inspired the book; "Bunny, Queen of the Garden."
Radio Interview
My mother, Doris Johnson, always dreamt of being a writer. It wasn't until she was in her mid-70s that she became an author.Tony Carlisle
A personal memory of Doris Johnson from Peggy Henrikson, her Editor and Friend.I was in awe of her creativity, which just seemed to flow once she got to writing. She admitted Tony had to prod her, but I think she truly enjoyed using her abundant imagination and intellect.I remember a particular instance when I questioned her about a conflict in one of her books. I thought that, in reality, a physical fight would have ensued in that situation. Her reply was, “I don’t want anyone to get hurt. I just want them to learn something.” So typical of Doris.In thinking about what I could share about her, I realized I had written the About the Author section in all her books. Doris didn’t like to write about herself, especially in laudatory terms, so I did it for her. I’ll share what I wrote in her last book, Adula Island. Not only does this present a picture of Doris, but it briefly describes her books, which reflect her thoughts and spirit.
Doris Johnson has seven books to her name, a remarkable accomplishment considering she was seventy-five when she completed her first book.Although each of her books is unique in its approach and characters, certain themes are predominant. Doris has a deep appreciation for the challenges posed by the human condition.She also understands and writes about the courage, tenacity, and creativity necessary to surmount these challenges. Her interest in and fascination with a diversity of people and their strengths and weaknesses give her books depth and variety.Her first book, The Mansion, chronicles the interactions, sorrows, joys, and, most of all, caring of seniors living in a repurposed governor’s mansion.Book two, Poems and Stories of Real Life, presents heartrending human dilemmas as well as a delightful mix of downhome adventure, inspiration, and humor.Then came Bunny, Queen of the Garden, the heartwarming story of an abandoned pet bunny that made its home in her vegetable garden and how Bunny enriched her life for over three years.The Lifer, The Immigrant, and Slave Trade Interrupted all tell of intrepid people facing seemingly insurmountable challenges they didn’t expect and how ingenuity and caring pull them through.Adula Island continues the story in Slave Trade Interrupted of the would-be slaves and English captain and crew of the slave boat the captives forced to land on an uninhabited island. Once again, cooperation and resourcefulness help the characters determine their destiny.In all her books, Doris displays careful attention to everyday details and characterization. Her amazing imagination is grounded in reality, and her main characters showcase her own kind nature.One of Doris Johnson’s strengths as a writer is her ability to help the reader visualize what she depicts with vivid and detailed description. Her characters themselves grow out of her fertile imagination and her own compassionate heart.Two of Doris’s favorite pastimes over the years play a critical part in Adula Island: gardening and fishing. She developed her love of both while living in Minnesota, then moved with her husband to Las Vegas because Nevada’s climate lends itself to year-round gardening.Doris also enjoys card games, playing Bid Whist in Minnesota and then Cribbage after she and her husband moved to Las Vegas. She now plays a lot of Solitaire while listening to music, which “makes for a pleasant evening.”Earlier in life, Doris enjoyed reading Erle Stanley Gardner detective stories, and later she turned to biographies. Her own books reveal wide-ranging interests with a focus on the drama of being human—except, of course, for the occasional bunny. The human interest in that story is Doris herself.Peggy Henrikson
Doris Johnson, Author
Before typing them into a computer, Doris Johnson wrote all of her books completely in longhand. Many years earlier, before her first published book, Doris use a word processor to develop story ideas.
