WEBVTT 00:01.134 --> 00:02.635 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% >>We hustled toward the east porch, 00:02.635 --> 00:06.006 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% trying to beat the full force of the coming rain. 00:06.006 --> 00:09.242 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Still I managed to take in that view of the house, 00:09.242 --> 00:12.712 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% it's handsome brick and double storied windows. 00:12.712 --> 00:15.615 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% I couldn't help, but imagine black hands too, 00:15.615 --> 00:20.553 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% sunk in mortar. My Monticello. The words formed low 00:20.553 --> 00:22.155 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% and unbidden in my throat. 00:23.556 --> 00:26.359 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% >>Terri Allard here with Charlottesville Inside Out. 00:26.359 --> 00:28.228 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Today I'm spending time with author 00:28.228 --> 00:30.430 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and former public school art teacher, 00:30.430 --> 00:34.367 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Jocelyn Nicole Johnson, to talk about life in our community 00:34.367 --> 00:37.404 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and her acclaimed book, "My Monticello" 00:37.404 --> 00:40.206 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% which is on track to be a Netflix movie. 00:40.206 --> 00:41.508 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% Come on. 00:41.508 --> 00:42.776 align:left position:20% line:5% size:70% >>Yeah, that's crazy. 00:42.776 --> 00:44.044 align:left position:30% line:5% size:60% (laughing) 00:44.044 --> 00:45.478 align:left position:40% line:5% size:50% Yeah. 00:45.478 --> 00:47.380 align:left position:10% line:5% size:80% So, the novella is getting made into a movie, 00:47.380 --> 00:52.352 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% which was not anything on my radar ever in a million years. 00:53.253 --> 00:54.721 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% But it's really exciting, right? 00:54.721 --> 00:56.156 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% But also it's just really fun to see another, 00:56.156 --> 00:57.924 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% someone else is writing the screenplay, 00:57.924 --> 01:00.660 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and to see another creator, like, adapt 01:00.660 --> 01:01.895 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% and think about what you made 01:01.895 --> 01:03.696 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and how your idea goes out into the world 01:03.696 --> 01:05.165 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% and becomes other things. 01:05.165 --> 01:07.901 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% The book "My Monticello" is five stories and novella 01:07.901 --> 01:09.736 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% all set in my home state of Virginia. 01:09.736 --> 01:11.404 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% And a really big question for me 01:11.404 --> 01:14.040 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% was about this idea of home, right? 01:14.040 --> 01:16.709 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% So, Virginia is kind of unequivocally my home. 01:16.709 --> 01:18.244 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% It's my home state, 01:18.244 --> 01:20.346 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% but I was thinking about the ways in which I feel at home 01:20.346 --> 01:23.416 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% and the ways in which sometimes I don't feel quite at home. 01:23.416 --> 01:26.619 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And so an example of that, I was inspired in part 01:26.619 --> 01:28.888 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% by August 12th here in Charlottesville 01:28.888 --> 01:31.558 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% where we, our town was kind of the unwitting host 01:31.558 --> 01:35.929 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% of a white nationalist rally, a violent rally. 01:35.929 --> 01:38.465 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Thinking about how to respond to that, right? 01:38.465 --> 01:42.068 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% So one way I responded to this event, this public event 01:42.068 --> 01:44.337 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% was writing, writing about it. 01:44.337 --> 01:45.705 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Writing a novella about it. 01:45.705 --> 01:49.109 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Responding in words and fiction. 01:49.109 --> 01:51.978 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% I think there's a way in which home becomes like a habit. 01:51.978 --> 01:55.181 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% So having been here before, having built relationships here. 01:55.181 --> 01:57.317 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% Our son was born here. 01:57.317 --> 02:00.453 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% So, we bought a home here, so this kind of became home 02:00.453 --> 02:02.589 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and now my parents have moved here. 02:02.589 --> 02:04.691 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% So, it's back to that idea of home. 02:04.691 --> 02:06.759 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% It's like, I've taught here for many, many years. 02:06.759 --> 02:08.628 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% I have all these students that I've known here. 02:08.628 --> 02:11.831 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% And, so, it's a really familiar place, right? 02:11.831 --> 02:13.333 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% We have all these roots here. 02:13.333 --> 02:15.768 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% I'm always up for hearing people talk about making art 02:15.768 --> 02:17.937 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and going and seeing people's art. 02:17.937 --> 02:21.007 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% And so we have really great organizations here 02:21.007 --> 02:22.242 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% around all kinds of arts. 02:22.242 --> 02:23.676 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% We have, like, Live Arts for theater. 02:23.676 --> 02:26.513 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% We have the film festival that comes here, 02:26.513 --> 02:28.648 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% the Festival of the Book which is wonderful 02:28.648 --> 02:31.851 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% and gone and seen all kinds of authors and panels 02:31.851 --> 02:33.920 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% about topics that I'm interested in. 02:33.920 --> 02:35.321 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% There are a ton of writers here. 02:35.321 --> 02:39.292 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% And for me, going to places like WriterHouse, 02:39.292 --> 02:42.228 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% the local nonprofit that supports writers here, 02:42.228 --> 02:43.062 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and taking classes and workshops there. 02:45.031 --> 02:47.634 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And then, for example, one of my workshop teachers 02:47.634 --> 02:49.068 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% ended up starting a writing group 02:49.068 --> 02:52.205 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% in which I have been in for over 10 years, 02:52.205 --> 02:55.275 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% just from taking that class, meeting people there 02:55.275 --> 02:57.343 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and kind of building that relationship. 02:57.343 --> 03:01.080 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% What I find really helpful is you kind of have to not worry 03:01.080 --> 03:03.383 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% about outcomes so much and worry about the process. 03:03.383 --> 03:04.217 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% So what am I curious about here? 03:05.385 --> 03:07.887 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% What sounds and feels right? 03:07.887 --> 03:10.890 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And, you know, there's a lot of asking yourself questions 03:10.890 --> 03:13.693 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% and then living life and then pulling in how...life. 03:13.693 --> 03:15.562 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% So, the things that happen around you, 03:15.562 --> 03:17.931 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% the conversation you have with your neighbor, 03:17.931 --> 03:20.600 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% the storm that blows through, 03:20.600 --> 03:23.369 align:left position:10% line:5% size:80% getting in a fender bender at the Wegmans or whatever. 03:23.369 --> 03:26.940 align:left position:10% line:5% size:80% All those things are gonna influence how the story unfolds 03:26.940 --> 03:29.175 align:left position:20% line:5% size:70% but it's all under the kind of the umbrella 03:29.175 --> 03:30.810 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% of these questions you're asking yourself, 03:30.810 --> 03:32.078 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% these big questions. 03:32.078 --> 03:35.081 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% (bright jazz music)