Frequently asked…
Why do you have two different pen names??
Good question. Even without looking into it, you intuitively know that “Mark Johnson” is an incredibly common American name. (Read my blog post, “The Curse of the Common Name,” HERE.) So by adding my middle initial for non-fiction, and then switching that up to “M. Ernest Johnson” for fiction, I’m conducting an experiment to try distinguishing myself within a sea of Mark Johnson content creators. Who knows if it will work? The jury’s still out…
Who are your biggest writing influences?
I have several. The iconic Western author, Louis L’Amour, first planted the idea in my head of becoming a writer back when I was a teenager. I also loved Roald Dahl for his incredible imagination and his slightly edgy characters and stories, as well as fantasy works by (of course) Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. In later years, I became enamored with the novels of Larry McMurtry of “Lonesome Dove” fame, and can attribute my love of writing dialogue directly to him. Over the past decade, I’ve fallen in love with the science fiction works of Andy Weir. Perhaps most of all, I am influenced by the storytelling of the late historian David McCullough, whom I consider to be an American treasure. I firmly believe that “John Adams” and “The Wright Brothers” should be required reading for every American high school student. (When the high school people come and ask me what I think, that’s what I’ll say…)
How did you come up with "Mr. Ledbetter's Boots"?
In the spring of 2020 — during the thick of COVID — Holly and I would often take afternoon walks down the curvy, wooded street in our neighborhood. One day before that walk, I received an email from Amazon notifying me of a new writer’s platform they would soon debut. The platform would allow readers to read a book in weekly installments instead of all at once. I thought this was cool, so when Holly and I went on our walk, I told her about the new platform and decided to come up with a story idea for it. By the time we arrived home 40 minutes later, I had almost the entire story for “Mr. Ledbetter” with Holly’s help. (I never ended up using the installment platform.)
Why did you make Mr. Ledbetter a black farmer?
I wanted to create a character who would be an unlikely candidate for trekking to Everest Base Camp. Making him 95 years old was the first part. Then, making him a Tuskegee Airman created even more interest, especially for me. (I love WWII history.) Making him a black mountaineer was the final twist. Mountaineering is traditionally an endeavor that has been most popular with white folks, a stereotype I decided to play with. It has also been dominated by aristocrats, rich thrill-seekers, and generally members of high society. That’s why I made him a humble, North Carolina farm boy. Truth be told, I also wanted him to be someone I could relate to, and I was raised on a North Carolina farm myself.
As a white writer, were you concerned about writing from the point of view of a black character?
No, no more than I was concerned about writing from the point of view of a young hotshot journalist (the Joe Vogler character). I’m neither one of those guys. See, that’s the beauty of fiction; you make stuff up. If it’s reality that you want, I’ve got two non-fiction books you can check out.
I look at writing fiction as similar to being an actor. An actor is simply pretending to be someone he’s not. As a writer, I’m pretending, too. If all my characters were bald white Southern fathers with bad backs, things would quickly get boring, I fear.
How did you come up with Mr. Ledbetter's name?
In doing some research into the Tuskegee Airmen, I ran across this photo of MSGT Charles William Ledbetter.
Now, I have always loved the name “Ledbetter” because of the late comedian Jerry Clower’s stories of his Mississippi neighbors, the Ledbetters. When I saw this photo and name, I was hooked. Plus, the look on the real Mr. Ledbetter’s face was exactly the kind of brave determination I wanted to project in my character.
Here’s some background on Charles and this photo:
Circa 1951, T/Sgt. Charles W. Ledbetter, 705 East Stewart Avenue, Columbus, Ohio, is shown as he returned shortly after daybreak from a pre-dawn strike against Communist troop and supply lines. Assigned to the 3rd Bomb Wing, Sgt. Ledbetter has flown 25 night missions as engineer-gunner in Fifth Air Force B-26 light bombers. He retired from the United States Air Force as a master sergeant after 30 years of active service. During his tenure, he served in World War II and the Korean War. He passed away July 23, 2003, and is buried in Section 26, Site 1426 at Riverside National Cemetery.
Is "Mr. Ledbetter's Boots" written in the same funny style as your non-fiction stuff?
No, not at all. Yes, there is a good bit of humor in it, but I certainly wouldn’t classify the book as a comedy.
Are you planning to write more books about the Himalayas?
No, I don’t plan to, but you never know. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to write the first book — Doofus Dad Does Everest Base Camp — but it happened anyway. “Mr. Ledbetter” was more of a writing exercise or experiment that, before I realized it, became a book that demanded to be finished.
Do you have other books in the works?
Yes, I am working on a blog compilation book and another non-fiction book about entreprenuership. I haven’t yet settled on a new fiction subject yet. Got a suggestion?
Do you ever do book readings?
Yes, on occassion. I had just gotten that ball rolling when COVID struck in 2020 and derailed the whole thing. I’m hoping to pick back up where I left off very soon. If you’d like me to come to your town, give me a shout and I’ll see what I can do.
Why did you write "Blow the Man Down"? It's not like you're famous or anything...
That’s precisely the point. Of all the working musicians in the world, only a teeny-tiny percentage ever become well-known or “successful” on a grand scale. Most never advance beyond their home towns, but this doesn’t mean they don’t find immense satisfaction and joy in what they do, and they often make a pretty good living at it. Others, like me, end up somewhere between complete unknown and stardom — balancing on the edge of fame and poverty — and getting small glimpses of big-time success. I thought it would be interesting to chronicle this as a memoir, partly to tell a good story of what happens when you almost make it and partly to commit my memories to print before I lose them.
Do you ever feel bitter about not "making it" as a musician?
Sometimes I feel a little bitter about the cutthroat nature of the Nashville music scene of the 1990s, yes, but that has softened over the years. The vast majority of my musician memories are wildly positive. There were a lot of exciting times, interesting people, and more than anything, laughs. I tried to convey that in “Blow the Man Down” such that anyone can understand, even if you’re not a musician.
I'm not a hiker or mountaineer; would I like "Doofus Dad Does Everest Base Camp"?
I hope so! While it is true that “Doofus Dad” has been read by a lot of hikers and trekkers as a way to prepare themselves for the Everest Base Camp trek, the book is more of an adventure story of a particular journey made by 16 of us in 2018. Because I intended the book to be for anyone who likes a good yarn, there are characters, some suspense, and lots of laughs. So yes, I think you would like it.
What other type of writing have you done?
After retiring from the music business in 1998, I worked for a few years as a graphic designer before landing a position as a writer/editor for an agricultural magazine in Tennessee. Although I only worked on staff for 10 years, I’ve written for that publication (the Tennessee Cooperator) and other rural-lifestyle magazines for better than two decades. During much of that time, I also published a humor blog, “Doofus Dad,” that focused mainly on fatherhood, but also health, fitness, politics, etc. This is what led to “Doofus Dad Does Everest Base Camp.” In 2013, one of my posts about the sport of Crossfit went viral worldwide for several weeks. Yet another brush with fame…
Johnson authors books with a casual ease that invites the reader into a narrative that feels like a cozy Appalachian cabin on a cold night before a warm fire.
– Tom Mayer, Editor, Wautaga democrat
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