Five firsts: Dana Johnson on identity, code switching, and erasure

Every month, I interview an author I admire on her literary firsts.

July’s featured writer is Dana Johnson, author of Break Any Woman Down.

This award-winning short story collection��is complex and provocative, often starring characters in the margins of society. ��A black stripper tries to figure out what she wants in her��relationship with a controlling white porn star. A woman defiantly goes to bars alone, over her daughter���s protests. They���re stories of power and acquiescence, stubbor...