Rheta Grimsley Johnson
Encyclopedia
Rheta Grimsley Johnson is an award-winning reporter and columnist
for King Features Syndicate of New York. Johnson travels the country in search of stories, frequently reporting from her native South, with datelines from Washington, D.C.
, to Iuka, Mississippi
.
and winner of the 1974-75 National Pacemaker Award while on the staff of The Auburn Plainsman
.
From 1980 until 1994, when she joined the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she was a reporter and columnist for The Commercial Appeal
in Memphis, Tennessee
, and Scripps Howard News Service. She worked for Atlanta for seven years. She has earned numerous awards for her writing, including the National Headliner Award for commentary in 1985 and Scripps Howard's Ernie Pyle Memorial Award for outstanding human interest reporting in 1984.
She was Scripps Howard Writer of the Year from 1983 to 1985. And in 1991,she was one of three finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary
.
In 1989 she wrote Good Grief, the authorized biography of Charles Schulz. In 2008 she published the book Poor Man's Provence: Finding Myself in Cajun Louisiana.
, creator of the Arlo and Janis
http://www.arloandjanis.com comic strip that appears in many U.S. newspapers. The two remain close friends.
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
for King Features Syndicate of New York. Johnson travels the country in search of stories, frequently reporting from her native South, with datelines from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, to Iuka, Mississippi
Iuka, Mississippi
Iuka is a city in Tishomingo County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 3,059 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Tishomingo County. Woodall Mountain, the highest point in Mississippi, is located just south of Iuka.- History :...
.
Education, Career and Awards
Johnson is a 1977 graduate of Auburn UniversityAuburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
and winner of the 1974-75 National Pacemaker Award while on the staff of The Auburn Plainsman
The Auburn Plainsman
The Auburn Plainsman is the student-run newspaper for Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. It has notably received awards for excellence from the Associated Collegiate Press and is the second-most decorated student publication in the history of the National Pacemaker competition.It is published...
.
From 1980 until 1994, when she joined the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she was a reporter and columnist for The Commercial Appeal
The Commercial Appeal
The Commercial Appeal is the predominant daily newspaper of Memphis, Tennessee, and its surrounding metropolitan area. It is owned by The E. W. Scripps Company, a major North American media company. Scripps also owned the former afternoon paper, the Memphis Press-Scimitar, which it folded in...
in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, and Scripps Howard News Service. She worked for Atlanta for seven years. She has earned numerous awards for her writing, including the National Headliner Award for commentary in 1985 and Scripps Howard's Ernie Pyle Memorial Award for outstanding human interest reporting in 1984.
She was Scripps Howard Writer of the Year from 1983 to 1985. And in 1991,she was one of three finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary
Pulitzer Prize for Commentary
The Pulitzer Prize for Commentary has been awarded since 1970. The Pulitzer Committee issues an official citation explaining the reasons for the award.-List of winners and their official citations:...
.
In 1989 she wrote Good Grief, the authorized biography of Charles Schulz. In 2008 she published the book Poor Man's Provence: Finding Myself in Cajun Louisiana.
Personal life
She was formerly married to Jimmy JohnsonJimmy Johnson (cartoonist)
Jimmy Johnson is an American comic strip cartoonist who writes and draws Arlo and Janis. He is an alumnus of Auburn University, class of 1974."My earliest cartoon work was copying Fred and Barney and Yogi Bear...
, creator of the Arlo and Janis
Arlo and Janis
Arlo and Janis is a comic strip written and drawn by Jimmy Johnson. It is a leisurely-paced domestic situation comedy. It was first published in newspapers on July 29, 1985.- Cast :...
http://www.arloandjanis.com comic strip that appears in many U.S. newspapers. The two remain close friends.
Further reading
- Hunter James and Rheta Grimsley Johnson, They Didn't Put That on the Huntley-Brinkley!: A Vagabond Reporter Encounters the New South, University of Georgia Press, February, 1993, hardcover, ISBN 0-8203-1468-4