Author has date next Tuesday at Just-Bookish in Fields Corner
By Ryann Denham Deveney
Tre Johnson, author of the critically acclaimed new book “Black Genius: Essays on an American Legacy,” will visit Dorchester’s Just-Bookish in Fields Corner next week for an in-store reading and conversation.
Tre and I are old friends, so when I chatted with him last week, we picked up right where we left off – Tre reminding me to pay attention to the beauty in everyday life.
That’s the message at the core of his first-ever book, in which Tre, who teaches creative writing at the University of Maryland and contributes to multiple publications, flips the script on what we usually think of as “genius.”
For Johnson, genius isn’t about rare talent or even academic achievement. It’s in the everyday, the peace he finds during morning walks or the moment a favorite song transforms a routine into something joyful.
“I wanted this book to be full of love and joy,” he told The Reporter. “So many books about Black life focus on struggle or tension, but “Black Genius” celebrates the other side: all the moments of community, music, laughter, and creativity that happen anyway.”
He said that “radicalism is just about having the confidence to state simple truths. We’ve always found ways to make art, to love, to carve out sanctuary, no matter what’s swirling around us.”
One of Tre’s favorite everyday examples is the sight of someone rapping as they walk down the street. “It’s a way of being seen, of taking up space, even in neighborhoods that might not always want you there,” he said. “It’s a low-key superpower.”
Johnson also lights up when talking about his nephew, a MacGyver-in-the-making who builds elaborate action figures out of pipe-cleaners and whatever else he finds around the house.
“That’s genius, too,” he said, with a laugh.
Asked where he finds joy these days, Tre rattled off a bunch of “grounding” things: walks in the morning, photography —almost all the book’s photos are his— sharing music, and just hanging out with the people he loves.
“I want to feel normal, unplugged, and human. And honestly? Rest is essential. Especially for us, and for anyone who’s always had to push twice as hard, it’s a way to reclaim your humanity.”
Still, “Black Genius” isn’t a guidebook, or some grand lesson plan.
“I’m not out to instruct anyone,” said Johnson, whose essays and op-eds been published in Rolling Stone, Slate, the Washington Post, and Vanity Fair. “I just want everyone, especially Black readers, to see themselves in these stories. This is an embrace, not a reform project.”
Johnson hopes the book nudges all of us to spot moments of brilliance where we might otherwise overlook them.
On the topic of Boston and its place in Black America, Johnson spoke with honesty and hope. He recalled visiting for college tours with his mom, and how old family stories and the city’s reputation for being tough on Black folks were part of his impression.
“Boston still has that stigma, but it’s also this hotbed for Black intellectuals and creatives,” he said. “There are so many folks making a way, making space, and that’s a kind of genius, too. I’m excited to be here, to connect and maybe expand my own ideas about Boston and Black community.”
Tre’s visit is really all about that: seeing and celebrating the everyday, finding joy even when life is complicated, and making space for each other. If you need a little more hope or inspiration, definitely check out one of his readings and join the conversation.
Catch his readings and conversations next Tuesday (Sept. 23) at 6:30 p.m. at Just Book-ish, 1463 Dorchester Ave. RSVP here.
Two evenings later, on Sept. 25, he’ll be at An Unlikely Story in Plainville for a book-signing and discussion.
For more about his visits, see trejohnsonwriter.com
