F. Geoffrey Johnson, was born in St. Louis, Missouri. His first book of poetry, smells i see, 142 pp., published in 2004, covers a wide spectrum of topics including family, faith, friends and food. His second book, Restoration, a collection of poetry and prose, 148 pp., was published in 2005 with a bent towards social reflection.
Johnson was first published in 1975 by Inner City Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA in Neworld Magazine. Unhappy with the publishing process, Johnson continued to write but did not share his work again until 2003. In 2003 he reunited with life long friend, educator and writer, D. Morrowloving of St. Louis, Missouri. Asked if he would permit some of his writings to appear in her literary group's magazine, Sisters-Nineties, he acquiesced. Trusting Morrowloving's integrity, he continued to publish in Sisters-Nineties Literary Group's tri-annual magazine until its final publication in 2007.
“I began writing to release pent up social and political frustrations. The writings incorporate messages with universal appeal and application. A poet should be the conscience of society. I often feel as if another force writes the poetry and I'm just the pen or keyboard.”
Johnson finished Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia in 1974. After graduation he moved to Washington D.C. where he began writing. After three years in the nation's capital, Johnson moved to Los Angeles, CA. Eight years later he moved back to Atlanta, GA.
Johnson continued to write but did not share his writings for nearly thirty years. Very few people knew he wrote. One friend whom he trusted, a former college roommate, knew of his writing and through the years continued to encourage him to write. Not until he visited Ghana, West Africa in the fall of 2002 did Johnson begin to open up and again share his work.
“I was in Ghana and was coming home each evening, keeping a journal and writing poetry. I wrote a poem, The Key, which told of a person gaining the knowledge of their life's mission. It became clear through writing and then reading The Key my mission was not merely to write but to share with others my writing.”
Much of Johnson's poetry and prose relates to personal experiences, spirituality, health, environment, social concerns and human / civil rights.
Johnson's style often encapsulates stories with rich metaphors in an insightful, thought provoking and sometimes humorous manner. Johnson has traveled to over twenty countries and six continents and draws on these trips and experiences for many of his poetic images. Drawing on a vast reservoir of experience, as an entrepreneur and traveler, Johnson is able to bring vision to a wide array of social conditions and let the reader view them through his eyes.
Johnson’s poetry has been published in several anthologies, literary journals and books including: Neworld Magazine, (1975), Publisher, Inner City Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA; Sisters-Nineties Literary Magazine, St. Louis, MO, (2003-2007); No More Silent Cries, Anthology, (2005), SpokenVizions, Publisher; CRUX: A conversation in words and images/South Africa to South USA, Anthology, (2007), Fulton County, GA, Publisher; The Caribbean Writer, 2008, International Literary Anthology, University of the Virgin Islands, Publisher; Black Magnolias Literary Journal, (2008, 2010), C. Liegh McInnis, Publisher; KARA WALKER—NO / KARA WALKER—YES / KARA WALKER—?, (2009), Howardena Pindell, Editor, MidMarch Arts, Publisher; Mythium Literary Journal, (2010), Crystal Wilkenson & Ron Davis, Co-Publishers; Encounters: Poems about Race, Ethnicity and Identity, (2010), Paula Cole-Jones, Editor, Skinner House Books, Publisher; African American Review (2015) - Volume 46.1 - Special Issue: Hip Hop & the Literary - Candice M. Jenkins, Guest Editor - Nathan Grant, Editor - Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO; The Johns Hopkins University Press, Publisher, Baltimore, MD.
Johnson was selected for an international residential fellowship at Caversham Centre for Artists and Writers, Balgowan, South Africa, January-February, 2009