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Author Danny Johnson published his first novel at the age of 71, completing a life-long dream. He grew up on the hard streets of a city housing project in Durham, North Carolina where he learned to study the instincts and personalities of those around him. The street life was hard, but he learned to immediately recognize friend from foe, how to protect himself, while at the same time learning the meaning of true friendship. And he dreamed about a life far away from those circumstances. His Grandmother taught him to read at an early age, and he discovered a way to take himself to those places of adventure and happiness. High school life was hard for him at first as he made use of the street lessons he'd learned, upturned collar and a James Dean attitude. Then a teacher took some interest in him, asking why he didn't utilize the obvious intelligence he displayed on occasion. That interest spurred him to apply himself and he graduated on time and in good stead. He was surprised when a small college accepted him and he entered into the land of scholarship in 1964. He enjoyed the new freedoms of living on his own, perhaps too much, and ended up dropping out in the Fall Semester of his second year. He had taken to watching all the stories about the war in Vietnam, and felt guilty not doing his part. He joined the military in December 1965. After a tour of duty in Japan, he was sent to Vietnam as a member of a special unit tasked with locating and documenting the enemy. He flew 127 combat missions, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions in combat. After getting home in 1969, he met and eventually married his wife. To earn a living, he spent time as a small loan collector, and after sifting through a couple of jobs, ended up at a Corporation where he spent the next twenty years, hating it almost every day. He could not shake the dream of being a writer. Mr. Johnson retired from public work at the age of 62, determined to pursue his dream. It took 10 long years of learning and working and being rejected far more times than he could count, going to every writing workshop he could find, and listening to mentors like Ron Rash, reading all those he admired like Rick Bragg and William Gay, and he met his best friend, Jan Parker who was also a struggling writer. They spent hours and hours trying to figure out the secret to getting published, and finally at the age of 71, he succeeded with getting an agent for his novel, The Last Road Home, and then a publishing contract with Kensington. He sat and cried. The novel enjoyed moderate success, but it gave him the confidence that he could succeed at his dream. As of 2019, and the age of 73, he has completed 2 additional novels that are awaiting publication. His dream has been realized, and he spends no less than 6 hours per day at the computer, trying to find the best seller he knows is in him, and carrying the sense of appreciation for all the circumstances he
endured because he feels they were the driving force that never allowed him to quit pursuing his dream. He does his best to make himself available to beginning writers, because he knows if that dream is inside a person, he is truly blessed. Nobody does this work in a vacuum. Surround yourself with those who have succeeded in the most lonely, self-doubting, maddening work you will ever do. I wish you success.
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