# Ep 23: Writing as Redemption: Alex R Johnson on Family, Race, and Brooklyn

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/journey-of-the-art-7113065/ep-23-writing-as-redemption-alex-r-johnson-on-family-race-and-brooklyn
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/journey-of-the-art-7113065/ep-23-writing-as-redemption-alex-r-johnson-on-family-race-and-brooklyn.md
Podcast: [Journey of the Art](https://stenobird.com/podcast/journey-of-the-art-7113065)
Published: 2025-05-07T12:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/journey-of-the-art/episodes/Ep-23-Writing-as-Redemption-Alex-R-Johnson-on-Family--Race--and-Brooklyn-e32gg4n
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/f62876d8/podcast/play/102301271/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-4-7%2F399768744-44100-2-5d512dea2f6b8.m4a
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/journey-of-the-art-7113065/episodes/ep-23-writing-as-redemption-alex-r-johnson-on-family-race-and-brooklyn
Duration seconds: 2905

## Resource

“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…

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