An Interview with Johnzelle Anderson
Johnzelle is a licensed therapist by trade, and believes in the power of storytelling to heal, imagine, disrupt, and inspire. His writing focuses on mental health, race, relationships, and identity. He’s an avid reader and reads approximately one hundred books annually. He lives in Virginia with his daughter and an energetic sheprador.
Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
Music has been a constant for me for as long as I’ve been conscious. When I sat down to write my story, I imagined a movie with a soundtrack. So, I used a mixtape as the framework instead of a table of contents. And I refer to my chapters as ‘tracks.’ Mixtape also contains ‘mixt’ – mixed – which serves as a double meaning, given I have a West African father and a white mother. A fun and fitting title, given it’s a coming-of-age memoir about identity.
How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?
What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?
I’ve been a therapist for over a decade.
What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?
Experiencing readers resonate with my story. Seeing that my words helped them to feel more loved, liked, or understood.
If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?
My book does have a soundtrack, haha. You can listen to it on Apple Music or Spotify using the following links.
➜ Spotify
What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?
Unreciprocated relationships hurt because they’re unsustainable. You are worthy of reciprocity.
What creative projects are you currently working on?
I am working on a children’s book about minimalism, a bisexual romance/smut, and a second memoir in verse.
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