Leah Johnson: Loudmouth, Voice for Visibility & Literary Badass

Season 6 | Episode 15In this episode, Kelly sits down with bestselling author and Loudmouth Books founder Leah Johnson — a woman using her voice, her books, and her bookstore to champion joy, representation, and radical visibility.Leah’s debut novel, You Should See Me in a Crown, was named one of TIME’s 100 Best YA Books of All Time. Since then, she’s become a literary force and the bold, brilliant mind behind Loudmouth Books, an Indianapolis bookstore dedicated to uplifting banned, challenged, and marginalized voices.In this conversation, Leah opens up about:How she discovered her voice — and why she refuses to shrinkWriting stories rooted in joy, humor, queerness, and belongingBuilding Loudmouth Books as a space for visibility and communityHow she protects her creativity while navigating burnout and pressureWhat gives her hope in a time of censorship and cultural pushbackLeah Johnson shows us what it looks like to live loud, love boldly, and make space for others to be seen. Learn more about her at byleahjohnson.com. If you live in Indianapolis, visit her bookstore: Loudmouth Bookstore.