Shelley Jinks Johnson is a poet, entrepreneur, performer, and author from Alexandria, Louisiana. With a background of business start-ups and brand building, she juggles a number of creative projects. A 2022 Bread Loaf Writer’s Conference contributor, founder of Poetry AEX, and co-founder of the Bad Gnus Poets writing group, she has developed her craft through various workshops and submitting her work to critical peer review.

Writing became her main passion when she discovered its therapeutic value while learning to navigate grief after the traumatic loss of her husband to brain cancer. Her work grapples with themes of death, acceptance, self-discovery, and how to find meaning in life after loss. She has discovered that living a life of creativity is the best way of building a life of value rooted in joy and gratitude. That discovery emboldens her to help others tap into their own creative wells, thereby enriching their lives and the broader community in which they thrive.

Shelley is the author of two poetry collections, PRETTY LITTLE WIDOW (2023) and OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL LOSS (2025), as well as the children’s book NORTH STAR (2024).