Interview with February 2021 Diversity Winner - John Lowe

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How long have you been writing and what made you want to write in the first place?
I've been writing since I was five years old. My mom still has short stories I wrote in crayon from the 90s. But it wasn't until I discovered Shonda Rhimes in 2006 that I fell in love with the art of TV writing. Grey's Anatomy was the show that changed everything for me. The smart, diverse, and complex characters that Shonda created inspired me to consider television and storytelling as a career. Everything I write today is just my fan-boy attempt at soliciting a compliment from her. My head would explode if she actually told me “John your writing is fabulous.”

What genre do you prefer to write in? What draws you to that genre?
My writing tends to be dramedies anchored by queer black people with an unapologetic musicality in the prose. I'm a musical theatre nerd who likes to crack jokes and you can always feel that in my pages.

Tell us three things you're currently digging.
A podcast that I can't live without is called The Read. On the show, black and queer bloggers Kid Fury and Crissle give a weekly breakdown of all things pop culture and politics with a snarky, unfiltered, and unapologetic POV. I'm also in the middle of reading a juicy YA novel called One of the Good Ones. The novel is written by sister-writer duo Maika and Maritza Moulite. It's the young female response to Get Out and I'm obsessed.  

What interested you about the Roadmap Diversity Initiative?
The mission statement of the Roadmap Diversity Initiative is what drew me to apply. Throughout my professional journey in the industry, many people warned me that my scripts were too niche and specific to black and queer people. This program celebrates inclusivity and authenticity which is incredibly refreshing and rare.

Where can we find you?
I can be found on Instagram taking pictures of my dogs, my sneakers, and my food. I can also be found on Twitter joyfully trolling white supremacists and their sympathizers. Both handles are @thejohnloweshow
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