Poetry. African American Studies. Tenea D. Johnson's poems are uniquely observant; they captivate and surprise from choreographing butterflies turned to dust, to Kentucky woods and suburbia. Johnson's intricate language invites the reader to connect with the images, music, and tastes of a woman vulnerably exposed. Both urban and natural, STARTING FRICTION resounds with a hope for a nation full of complexity and conflict. After time well spent in alphabet cities--NYC, ATL, and DC--Tenea Johnson lives on the Gulf of Mexico where she writes speculative fiction and makes music. Her work has appeared in various anthologies and magazines, including Whispers in the Night, Arise, and Tangle XY. She is also the proud mother of a bouncing baby label, counterpoise records.