Music & Art

LOCAL AUTHOR PUBLISHES NEW BOOK

by Jeanni Ritchie

“Shelley Jinks Johnson reminds me of Edna St. Vincent Millay in so many ways: both poets of love and grief and loss; both phenomenal performers who can captivate an audience including those with no prior interest in poetry; and both burdened by the beauty that attracts suitors ‘marinated in vodka and lies’ while they are still grieving,” writes Dr Julie Kane, Professor Emeritus of English at Northwestern State University of Louisiana and former Poet Laureate of Louisiana. 

Johnson’s latest book, Our Lady of Perpetual Loss, cuts right to the heart of grief. Johnson’s passion for writing began when she discovered its therapeutic value after the traumatic loss of her husband to brain cancer. Her work grapples with themes of death, acceptance, self-discovery, and how to find meaning in life after loss.

I, too, have found writing to be a therapeutic tool in a healing arsenal. Reading and writing about navigating grief causes it to become a shared experience, a way to lighten an unbearably heavy load. 

Visit shelleyjinksjohnson.com to pre-order Our Lady of Perpetual Loss and discover Johnson’s other works. 

Jeanni Ritchie is a contributing journalist from Central Louisiana. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com

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