John’s debut novel, Three-Fifths, was named one of the best books of 2019 by the Chicago Tribune. In the U.K., Three-Fifths was named a Book of the Year by The Sunday Times, The Financial Times, and The Guardian. His second novel, After the Lights Go Out, was published by Soho Press. It’s been called “simply brilliant” by Publishers Weekly in a starred review, “shrewd and explosive” by The New York Times, and was named an Editors’ Choice in Adult Fiction for 2022 by Booklist. His third novel, Devil Is Fine has received starred reviews from Booklist and BookPage, was named a Best New Book of the Summer by TIME Magazine and The Root, an Indie Next pick for July, and one of the Top Ten Books to Add to Your Reading List in June by the Los Angeles Times. Additionally, Devil is Fine was a June book pick by The Center for Fiction, one of the 12 Must-Read Books of June by The Chicago Review of Books, a Book of the Day for July by NPR, and was featured on NPR’s It’s Been A Minute.

Education

M.F.A., Mountainview M.F.A. Program

B.A., University of Pittsburgh

Research Interests

Research interests include: Creative writing; anti-racist pedagogy.

Books

Popular Articles

“I’m a Dad with ‘Big Feelings.’ Here’s How I’m Helping My Sons with THEIRS.” Men’s Health, June 11, 2024.

“Where Are the Larger-Than-Life Stories of Black Boxers in Fiction?” LitHub, August 24, 2022

“What Are you, Anyway?” Booklist, May 1, 2020.

“Graphic Novels and Social Justice: A Primer.” CrimeReads, September 12, 2019.

“Fight in the Dog.” Entropy, October 17, 2018.

Cognoscenti. WBUR.org Boston, December 2016 – October 2019.

Multimedia

Devil Is Fine (2024)

The Best New Books to Read This Summer(TIME)

Indie Next (July)(The American Booksellers Association)

10 books to add to your reading list in June (Los Angeles Times)

June 2024 Books by Black Authors We Can’t Wait to Read(The Root)

I’m a Dad With ‘Big Feelings.’ Here’s How I’m Helping My Sons With Theirs.(Men’s Health)

STARRED review (Booklist)

STARRED review (BookPage)

Presentations/Invited Talks

Upcoming: Six Bridges Book Festival, Little Rock, AR. September 26-28, 2024.

Upcoming: Harrisburg Book Festival, Harrisburg, PA. October 12, 2024.

Upcoming: Southern Festival of Books, Nashville, TN. October 25-27, 2024.

Upcoming: Texas Book Festival, Austin, TX. November 16-17, 2024.

Upcoming: Miami Book Fair, Miami Dada College, Miami, FL. November 23-24, 2024.

In-conversation with Sabrina Orah Mark. Avid Bookshop, Athens, GA. August 29, 2024.

In-conversation with Mira Jacob. Books Are Magic, Brooklyn, NY. August 13, 2024.

In-conversation with Jason Mott. Malaprops Bookstore/Cafe, Asheville, NC. August 11, 2024.

In-conversation with Maurice Carlos Ruffin. Baldwin & Co., New Orleans, LA. August, 7, 2024.

Meet & green and signing. Browseabout Books, Rehoboth Beach, DE. July 28, 2024.

In-conversation with Chet’la Sebree. The Writer’s Center, Bethesda, MD. July 18, 2024.

In-conversation with Laura Chow Reeve. A Novel Idea on Passyunk, Philadelphia, PA. July 11, 2024.

In-conversation with Phillip B. Williams. Doylestown Bookshop, Doylestown, PA. July 10, 2024.

In-conversation with Jan Beatty. Riverstone Books, Pittsburgh, PA. June 20, 2024.

Launch event with Joseph Earl Thomas. A Novel Idea on Passyunk, Philadelphia, PA. June 19, 2024.

In-conversation with Nicola Yoon. Doylestown Bookshop, Doylestown, PA. June 15, 2024.

Drexel Writing Festival, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA. May 7, 2024.

Inaugural Wilma Dykeman Writer-in-Residence, UNC Asheville. August 15, 2023.

Keynote Speech: “The Price of Words 2.0”, Chatham Summer Conference of Writers. July 6, 2023.

Reading/Signing with Browseabout Books, hosted by the Lewes Public Library, in-person and online, Rehoboth Beach, DE. May 18, 2023.

Greater Pittsburg Festival of Books, Pittsburgh, PA. May 13, 2023.

Reading and mini-workshop, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA. May 10, 2023.

After the Lights Go Out paperback launch, in-conversation w/Mike Sielski, author of The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality, presented by Doylestown Bookshop, North Wales, PA. May 4, 2023.

“Delicious Reads,” Hub City Writers Project, Spartanburg, SC. March 12, 2023.

Dallas Literary Festival, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX. March 4, 2023.

Barrelhouse Conversations and Connections Conference, Pittsburgh, PA. October 29, 2022.

Featured writer/reader, Cognoscenti Tenth Anniversary Celebration, Boston, MA. October 25, 2022.

In-conversation with Jenny Liou, author of Muscle Memory, Virtual Event, Literati Book Store. October 20, 2022.

Chocolate Town Book Festival, Hershey, PA. October 1, 2022.

Bucks County Book Festival, Doylestown, PA. September 24, 2022.

Reads & Company, Phoenixville, PA. September 7, 2022.

In-conversation with Ted Flanagan, author of Every Hidden Thing, Trident Booksellers & Cafe, Boston, MA. July 25, 2022.

Riverstone Books, Pittsburgh, PA. July 20, 2022.

In-conversation with Eli Cranor, author of Don’t Know Tough, Virtual Event, The Poisoned Pen. July 18, 2022.

In-conversation with Chris Terry, author of Black Card, Virtual Event, Vroman’s Bookstore. July 7, 2022.

Fresh Air with Dave Davies, WHYY Studios, Pittsburgh, PA. June 28, 2022.

In-conversation with David Joy, author of When These Mountains Burn, Virtual Event, Malaprop’s Bookstore. June 14, 2022.

“Twas the Night Before Book Launch w/ Vanessa Lillie,” Instagram Live. June 6, 2022.

Professional Associations

Writers Guild of America East (WGAE); Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP)

Awards

Nominated for the Edgar, Strand Critics’ Award, CWA Dagger Award for Best First Novel (Three-Fifths).