In the Mind of the Anxious Traveler

From home with its soccer games and Sunday mornings and days in the office, John Johnson takes us on a quirky tour in verse to Tokyo, Sedona, South Beach and more, including stops in the airport lounge and the hotel bar. Rich with imagery and wry in spirit, these are poems for anyone who ever "wondered what was above the clouds," for anyone who thrills at "how big the world is."

―Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, author of Hush and Naked for Tea

Reading In the Mind of an Anxious Traveler is like taking a series of trips with tour guide and poet John Johnson. On these pages, we trek by foot, rental car, jet, and aboard a treadmill in a hotel gym. We go to the beach, to the airport, to coffee shops, summer camp, the Lincoln Memorial, a Greyhound bus stop, and even a Tokyo wresting event in the memorable "Butt Cheeks in Tokyo." These poems are smart, funny, and heartfelt. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

―Susan Vespoli, author of Blame It on the Serpent and Cactus as Bad Boy

John Johnson's speaker traverses towns, states, the globe, and generations―all the while cataloging the landscapes and the people who occupy them. Here, time is marked by "bottomless coffee cups," "the last song on the Spotify playlist," a hamster on a wheel, and checks on a "hand scratched list." "An anxious mind craves routine," we learn and find repetition and routine around every corner of the work―another billboard, flight, cup of coffee. All the while, In the Mind of an Anxious Traveler demonstrates the charm and hilarity of everyday moments and reminds us to leave room for the unexpected, for wonder.

―Nicole Tong, inaugural Poet Laureate of Fairfax County, Virginia