RM Johnson wanted to be a filmmaker–until he actually tried it at Columbia College a dozen years ago. “It was much more of a collaborative effort than I expected,” says the 35-year-old Beverly native and self-described loner. What Johnson did enjoy was writing a short coming-of-age story for an anthropology assignment. “My professor was the first person who said ‘You’re going to be a successful writer one day.’ That made all the difference in the world.”
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But it was years before Johnson, who served five years as an X-ray technician in the army, found his niche. From Columbia he transferred to Chicago State’s English program on a military scholarship. “But English was a bit different from creative writing,” he says. “After a year there I decided I wanted to rig a safety net for when I decided to actually pursue writing. I really wasn’t planning on waiting tables.”
Last year’s Love Frustration was described by Publishers Weekly as a “randy sexual soap opera, in which half a dozen young Chicago professionals try to bed-hop their way to the perfect partner.” His latest novel, Dating Games, focuses on a 33-year-old nurse’s assistant who lives in the projects with her twin teenage daughters–one bad (the sexy Alize, who steals from her would-be lovers) and one good (the brainy Hennesey).
