If you enjoy a little bit of everything in your literary universe–creative storytelling, vivid imagery, emotional honesty, and flights of fictional fancy–you’ll find them in my latest book, I Think I’ll Prune the Lemon Tree.
This anthology of thirty-nine serendipitous, provocative, and humorous essays includes a treasure trove of my sixty-something observations set against the warm and rugged landscape of Arizona’s Sonoran Desert.
The book chronicles the first three years in my Scottsdale home (2017-2020) and journey with my husband Tom to build a healthy, open, and literary life in Arizona. Along the way, I also revisit indelible memories and people from my Illinois, Missouri, and North Carolina past.
Join me on this Grand Canyon State adventure, as I explore universal themes: the beauty of nature; the importance of community and family; the need for authenticity and diversity; the realities of aging; the anxiety of uncertainty; the upheaval of a global pandemic; and the gratitude that comes from examining all of it with an open heart.
Mark Johnson Stories 