Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction
1 appearances
-
Edition 68 (2021) Winner
Toni Ann Johnson
トニ・アン・ジョンソン
Toni Ann Johnson
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Monroe, New York (grew up) → Greenwich Village, New York City (grew up) → Los Angeles (residence/active)
Career
- Occupations
- screenwriter, playwright, novelist, author
- Active Years
- 1989-
- Nominations
- NAACP Image Award nomination (Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author) (2015), NAACP Image Award nomination (Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction) (2023), William Saroyan International Prize for Writing (shortlist) (2024)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute (New York) | — | — | — | — | United States |
| NYU Tisch School of the Arts | — | — | — | — | United States |
| City College of New York | — | playwriting | — | — | United States |
| Los Angeles City College | — | Cinema | シネマの修了証 | — | United States |
| Antioch University Los Angeles | — | Creative Writing (MFA) | MFA | — | United States |
Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute (New York)
Country:
United States
Attended during high school for acting/theatre training
NYU Tisch School of the Arts
Country:
United States
Reported graduate of the school (year unknown)
City College of New York
playwriting
Country:
United States
Studied playwriting with Arthur Kopit
Los Angeles City College
Cinema
Degree:
シネマの修了証
Country:
United States
Received a certificate in Cinema
Antioch University Los Angeles
Creative Writing (MFA)
Degree:
MFA
Country:
United States
Received an MFA in creative writing (year unknown)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Humanitas Prize | Ruby Bridges (TV movie) | — | Humanitas | 受賞 |
| 1998 | Christopher Award | Ruby Bridges (TV movie) | — | Christopher Awards | 受賞 |
| 2004 | Humanitas Prize | Crown Heights (TV movie) | — | Humanitas | 受賞 |
| 2015 | International Latino Book Award (Most Inspirational Fiction) | Remedy for a Broken Angel | Most Inspirational Fiction | International Latino Book Awards | 受賞 |
| 2020 | Accents Publishing Inaugural Novella Contest | Homegoing (novella) | — | Accents Publishing | 受賞 |
| 2021 | Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction | Light Skin Gone to Waste (linked short story collection) | — | Flannery O'Connor Award | 受賞 |
Humanitas Prize
1998
Work:
Ruby Bridges (TV movie)
Organization:
Humanitas
Result:
受賞
Christopher Award
1998
Work:
Ruby Bridges (TV movie)
Organization:
Christopher Awards
Result:
受賞
Humanitas Prize
2004
Work:
Crown Heights (TV movie)
Organization:
Humanitas
Result:
受賞
International Latino Book Award (Most Inspirational Fiction)
2015
Work:
Remedy for a Broken Angel
Category:
Most Inspirational Fiction
Organization:
International Latino Book Awards
Result:
受賞
Accents Publishing Inaugural Novella Contest
2020
Work:
Homegoing (novella)
Organization:
Accents Publishing
Result:
受賞
Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction
2021
Work:
Light Skin Gone to Waste (linked short story collection)
Organization:
Flannery O'Connor Award
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Remedy for a Broken Angel
2014 novelA debut novel featuring a Bermudian protagonist; explores forgiveness, family ties, and mixed-race identity.
forgivenessfamilyrace and mixed identity
Light Skin Gone to Waste
2021 short story collection (linked stories)A linked short story collection addressing race, skin tone, family, and identity.
raceskin colorfamilyidentity
Homegoing
2020 novellaA novella that won Accents Publishing's inaugural novella contest; details are limited in public sources.
belongingfamilyhomecoming
Ruby Bridges (screenplay)
1998 TV movie (screenplay)Screenplay for a TV movie based on the real-life story of Ruby Bridges, who integrated New Orleans public schools as a child.
racismcivil rightscourage
Adaptations
- [TV movie] Ruby Bridges (1998)
Crown Heights (screenplay)
2004 TV movie (drama)A drama about a hip-hop group composed of African-American and Hasidic Jewish members formed in the wake of the 1991 Crown Heights riots.
communityreconciliationcultural exchange
Step Up 2: The Streets (co-writer)
2008 film (dance)Co-wrote the screenplay for the second installment of the Step Up franchise; a dance-oriented youth drama.
youthdanceself-expression
Bibliography
- Remedy for a Broken Angel (2014)
- Homegoing (novella, award) (2020)
- Light Skin Gone to Waste (short story collection, award) (2021)
- Numerous short stories published in journals (Fiction, Callaloo, Hunger Mountain, etc.)
- Screenplays: Ruby Bridges (1998), Crown Heights (2004)
- Film (co-writer): Step Up 2: The Streets (2008)
Adaptations
- Ruby Bridges (TV movie, screenplay)
- Crown Heights (TV movie, screenplay)
- Step Up 2: The Streets (film, co-writer)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- realistic, dialogue-driven prosepsychologically attentive character depictionnarrative that weaves social issues
- Recurring Motifs
- race and skin tone differencesfamily and forgivenessurban communities (notably New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles)
Legacy
As a screenwriter, playwright, and novelist she has won awards for TV scripts and short fiction; her work addressing race and identity is noted, and she is active in community efforts such as tree-planting in South Los Angeles.
Quotes
-
Johnson writes with sensitivity and a good ear for dialogue. She is both musically and psychologically acute, showing a solid understanding of the subtlety and flamboyance of narcissism. Her view of forgiveness is multilayered.
Source: Kirkus Reviews (review of Remedy for a Broken Angel) (2014)
Trivia
- Grew up in Monroe, New York and Greenwich Village, NYC.
- Attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute during high school.
- Won Humanitas Prizes for TV scripts such as Ruby Bridges and Crown Heights.
- Involved in community tree-planting efforts in South Los Angeles.
- Reported sibling: Hillary Johnson.