Author Micaiah Johnson isn’t afraid to write about scary things. I recently spoke with her about The Unhaunting.
Tell me about your latest book.
My latest book is The Unhaunting, a contemporary horror that is easiest to describe as “Toni Morrison’s Beloved meets Jordan Peele’s Get Out.”
Why did you decide to write it?
I am always the last to know why I write anything, but as I was editing the most recent draft it finally became obvious to me that I was processing what I had witnessed of how both higher education and publishing dealt with differences. In pseudo-progressive spaces you don’t find the outright Klan-style hatred, but it isn’t acceptance either. It is a hunger for difference that somehow does not inspire equal treatment or respect. To be wanted, desired even, but still somehow despised is a harder dynamic for me to wrap my head around than outright attack. So, as with all things I can’t quite wrap my head around, it became a book.
What’s your favorite place to write?
I often write in coffee shops so I can do some people/dog/pigeon watching while I work. I know, I know—I’m a Brooklyn cliché.
What’s the nicest thing a reader has ever said to you?
My first book, The Space Between Worlds, came out during lockdown. I remember what that whole time period did to my brain and attention space, so the comment I get most commonly that warms my soul is, “Your book helped me begin to read again.” The idea that I could have anything to do with someone’s journey back long-form reading is an absolute honor.
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
I was maybe four when I first told my sisters I wanted to be a writer. Which is wild, because I don’t come from a particularly literate family. I had such audacity.
What author would you love to meet?
Toni Morrison really is my north star, and I would love to have had a single conversation with her. If we’re talking living authors, probably Jesmyn Ward or Colson Whitehead, both of whom I see taking up different aspects of her legacy.
What books have you read lately and loved?
Sour Cherry by Natalia Theodoridou gave me the beautiful/depressing prose I craved, but then I followed it with Year of the Mer by L.D. Lewis for a brighter vibe with a bit more action.
What books are at the top of your to-be-read pile?
Tamika Thompson’s The Curse of Hester Gardens. The book was already on my list because the concept was killer and the cover was perfect, but I recently had the opportunity to hear Tamika speak, and her passion, knowledge base, and cleverness moved it right to the top.
What’s next for you?
Next, I’ll be returning to Ashtown—the series that started my career—for one last go-round. After that, who knows? I have too many ideas and have made too few decisions.
Use the Black Fiction Addiction affiliate link to purchase your copy of The Unhaunting by Micaiah Johnson.