In his memoir and writer's mosaic, debuting author Mark Johnson searches for answers after his mother dies. He leaves behind his corporate job in his mid-fifties and soon discovers a love for writing and nature across three generations of his family. In each chapter, he weaves together more than fifty years of diary accounts from his grandfather's North Carolina farm, his mother's encouraging and wisdom-filled letters from her complicated life, and his own narrative as a gay man coming to terms with his past and his grief. Mark leads you on a writer's journey to reawaken his artistic sensibilities, remember the important people and moments in his life, and rediscover his southern roots. From Fertile Ground examines our human desire to make sense of our heritage, find our own path, and leave our mark on the world. Born in St. Louis, Mark Johnson graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in 1979. He built a multi-faceted career as a communication professional before retiring and beginning a new chapter in 2014. Mark and his husband Tom divide their time between the Chicago area and Scottsdale, Arizona.