Episode
Ep 23: Writing as Redemption: Alex R Johnson on Family, Race, and Brooklyn
- Podcast
- Journey of the Art
- Published
- May 7, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 2905
- Processing state
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Summary
“Whatever my life story is, the last line cannot be: ‘And then he died in Texas.’” — Alex R Johnson In this episode, I’m joined by filmmaker and debut author Alex R Johnson to unpack the story behind his debut novel, how screenwriters are robbed of creative ownership, and what it takes to push past imposter syndrome—even at 50. Show Highlights 00:00 Introduction 3:11 Leaving Brooklyn for Texas and the problem with copyright laws for screenwriters in Hollywood 5:41 What inspired Brooklyn Motto? 12:04 What Brooklyn in the '90s still teaches us today 13:39 Exploring the father-son relationship 17:44 Unearthing the works of forgotten artists and New York reinventing itself 20:04 Aging artists and forgotten dreams 24:04 How race, memory, addiction, and family shaped the world of Brooklyn Motto 30:39 The impact of drug addiction on romantic relationships 34:43 The role of illegal systems on the infrastructure of Brooklyn 39:26 How gentrification contributes to the high housing costs in Brooklyn 44:00 Advice to writers trying to overcome imposter syndrome 47:11 Appreciation and end 🎙️ Journey of the Art is a podcast about the messy truth of creative work — hosted by Lola. Subscribe for honest conversations with artists, authors, and filmmakers making their mark. _____________________ Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9yCLVeo-0S0 _____________________ Guest’s links 📚 Brooklyn Motto is available now — a gripping literary mystery set in 1990s Brooklyn. Get it here: https://www.brooklynmotto.com Follow Alex on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIzYcweSAKj/?img_index=1 _____________________ Host’s links Find out more about the show: https://www.journeyoftheart.com/ Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/journeyoftheartpod/ Book a one-on-one with Lola: http…