Maisha Z Johnson

Maisha Z. Johnson is a writer and creative facilitator living in Oakland, CA. Through her work and writing, she lifts up voices of those who are often silenced, including LGBTQ people, people of color, and survivors of violence. Maisha is the author of three chapbooks, Queer As In (Inkblot Arts 2014), Uprooted (Gorilla Press 2014), and Split Ears (Aggregate Space 2013), a full-length poetry collection, No Parachutes to Carry Me Home (Punk Hostage Press 2015), and Through Your Own Words: 51 Writing Prompts for Healing and Self-Care (Inkblot Arts 2014). Maisha studied creative writing at San Francisco State University and earned her MFA in Poetry from Pacific University. She has won competitions including Literary Death Match, The Lit Slam, and Portuguese Artists Colony and been nominated twice for a Pushcart Prize. Her work has been published in numerous journals, and Maisha is frequently a featured reader at literary events and social justice rallies throughout the Bay Area.

Learn more about Maisha at www.maishazjohnson.com and about her project, Inkblot Arts, at www.inkblotarts.org.