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An Unobstructed View: A Personal Journey from Illinois to Arizona
Mark Johnson’s third memoir chronicles an ironic year of surprise and transformation when one man’s life takes an unexpected detour and he discovers his destiny on the way to a new destination.
As the story begins, Mark is poised for a new adventure. He has already navigated the ups and downs of his St. Louis childhood and retraced the path of his mother’s life from fertile ground. Yet, he doesn’t expect his journey with his husband Tom—selling their steady-but-often-snowy Illinois home and resurfacing in the warmth and serenity of Arizona’s Sonoran Desert—will prove to be as circuitous. An Unobstructed View is an inspiring story of promise, perseverance and reflection.
As the story begins, Mark is poised for a new adventure. He has already navigated the ups and downs of his St. Louis childhood and retraced the path of his mother’s life from fertile ground. Yet, he doesn’t expect his journey with his husband Tom—selling their steady-but-often-snowy Illinois home and resurfacing in the warmth and serenity of Arizona’s Sonoran Desert—will prove to be as circuitous. An Unobstructed View is an inspiring story of promise, perseverance and reflection.
114 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 23, 2018
6 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
About the author
Mark Johnson
6 books29 followersI was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Now, in my sixties, I live happily in Scottsdale, Arizona, among the saguaros and palm trees.
Since retiring in 2014 from corporate life, I've authored six books to pay tribute to vivid people and memories from my experiences in North Carolina, Missouri, Illinois and Arizona.
From Fertile Ground, my first book, is a three-generation memoir and writer's mosaic that explores the importance of family and desire we each have to create our own path.
My second book, Tales of a Rollercoaster Operator, features up-and-down stories from my Missouri childhood. The St. Louis History Museum selected both books (published in 2016 and 2017) for its collection devoted to LGBTQ history in the Midwest.
In 2018, I published An Unobstructed View. It chronicles a year of surprise, perseverance, and transformation following a personal detour during my move from Illinois to Arizona.
Published in 2021, my fourth book--I Think I'll Prune the Lemon Tree--is an anthology of thirty-nine serendipitous and humorous essays set against the warm and rugged landscape of Arizona's Sonoran Desert.
A Path I Might Have Missed, published in 2023, is poetry I wrote over thirty years, exploring love, loss, pain, discovery, truth, and transformation—spun through the wonder of words and influences of nature.
My sixth book, Sixty-Something Days, is a memoir tapestry of essays, poems, and flashes of fiction, which I published in November 2025. It is a call-to-action to stay creative and relevant in our later years, while contributing our hard-earned wisdom.
To learn more about my books, and follow my blog, go to www.markjohnsonstories.com.
Since retiring in 2014 from corporate life, I've authored six books to pay tribute to vivid people and memories from my experiences in North Carolina, Missouri, Illinois and Arizona.
From Fertile Ground, my first book, is a three-generation memoir and writer's mosaic that explores the importance of family and desire we each have to create our own path.
My second book, Tales of a Rollercoaster Operator, features up-and-down stories from my Missouri childhood. The St. Louis History Museum selected both books (published in 2016 and 2017) for its collection devoted to LGBTQ history in the Midwest.
In 2018, I published An Unobstructed View. It chronicles a year of surprise, perseverance, and transformation following a personal detour during my move from Illinois to Arizona.
Published in 2021, my fourth book--I Think I'll Prune the Lemon Tree--is an anthology of thirty-nine serendipitous and humorous essays set against the warm and rugged landscape of Arizona's Sonoran Desert.
A Path I Might Have Missed, published in 2023, is poetry I wrote over thirty years, exploring love, loss, pain, discovery, truth, and transformation—spun through the wonder of words and influences of nature.
My sixth book, Sixty-Something Days, is a memoir tapestry of essays, poems, and flashes of fiction, which I published in November 2025. It is a call-to-action to stay creative and relevant in our later years, while contributing our hard-earned wisdom.
To learn more about my books, and follow my blog, go to www.markjohnsonstories.com.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 27, 2020
This wonderful and uplifting book reads like a compilation of short stories, but it is beautifully woven together to demonstrate all interconnections that make up a community and a family. The book also pays tribute to people who may only be in our lives for a short time and emphasizes that a brief encounter does not diminish significance.
Mark's story is one of courage. Courage to start a new chapter in life, and courage to move forward with optimism even when life throws the ultimate curveball. His journey will take you through his love of baseball, the joys of owning a dog, and the challenges of being a gay man. Although these are only a few of the anecdotes he explores, you'll quickly notice that the book is well poised to connect with a large readership.
Mark's story is one of courage. Courage to start a new chapter in life, and courage to move forward with optimism even when life throws the ultimate curveball. His journey will take you through his love of baseball, the joys of owning a dog, and the challenges of being a gay man. Although these are only a few of the anecdotes he explores, you'll quickly notice that the book is well poised to connect with a large readership.
August 29, 2018
I received this book via Goodreads Giveaways.
This book, though short, leaves an amazing bittersweet feeling of deep nostalgia and contemplation. I enjoyed reading it a lot. The book was not what I expected at first; it hints at a trip story, however, it is much deeper than this: an account of one person's life, its ups and downs, feelings, emotions, events, people, dogs, little things and details triggered by a life-threatening event.
As much as I love reading any memoirs and personal testimonies, I also consider this one to be very good composition-wise. It is divided into little tales about some chapters in the author's life, some notable events, and these tales will not leave you indifferent. I'm still on my journey to understand how different people in America live, what their core values and everyday life are, and this one is very useful for my "research", as I always had a soft spot for the Chicago area. But the main thing is, throughout the story, I could feel Mark's pain, nostalgia and all the warm feelings about the place so many things and memories were connected to. Perhaps this is because I can relate, as I recently also have chosen to move to a different chapter of my life (both geographically and mentally), but mostly because Mark's account about his journey was so heart-warming and content, you just can't stay away emotionally, so you imagine all those Chicago winters, and the snow, work commutes, a cute basset hound under the dogwood tree, a Cubs vs. Cardinals game, a friendly suburbian area in Illinois and a neat condo in Arizona Mark and Tom are, probably, living in now. It helps you look behind at you own life (though being twice yonger) and learn some things for yourself.
Overall, it's a great personal story worth reading. I'm really glad to have read this book, and I wish Mark and Tom all the best in the future!
This book, though short, leaves an amazing bittersweet feeling of deep nostalgia and contemplation. I enjoyed reading it a lot. The book was not what I expected at first; it hints at a trip story, however, it is much deeper than this: an account of one person's life, its ups and downs, feelings, emotions, events, people, dogs, little things and details triggered by a life-threatening event.
As much as I love reading any memoirs and personal testimonies, I also consider this one to be very good composition-wise. It is divided into little tales about some chapters in the author's life, some notable events, and these tales will not leave you indifferent. I'm still on my journey to understand how different people in America live, what their core values and everyday life are, and this one is very useful for my "research", as I always had a soft spot for the Chicago area. But the main thing is, throughout the story, I could feel Mark's pain, nostalgia and all the warm feelings about the place so many things and memories were connected to. Perhaps this is because I can relate, as I recently also have chosen to move to a different chapter of my life (both geographically and mentally), but mostly because Mark's account about his journey was so heart-warming and content, you just can't stay away emotionally, so you imagine all those Chicago winters, and the snow, work commutes, a cute basset hound under the dogwood tree, a Cubs vs. Cardinals game, a friendly suburbian area in Illinois and a neat condo in Arizona Mark and Tom are, probably, living in now. It helps you look behind at you own life (though being twice yonger) and learn some things for yourself.
Overall, it's a great personal story worth reading. I'm really glad to have read this book, and I wish Mark and Tom all the best in the future!
August 25, 2018
I enjoyed the journey. As a strait conservative republican , I still admired all that you experienced and I gained an insight into your sensitivities. I have been in Arizona a since 1962. Be sure to visit Bisbee and all of southern Arizona. I wanted to know more about your transition to a gay lifestyle. I would recommend this book to all who read.
I like to read about real people. This filled the bill as authentic even as the life may be considered prosaic. It was touching without overstatement.
I like to read about real people. This filled the bill as authentic even as the life may be considered prosaic. It was touching without overstatement.
August 28, 2018
I can say with authority that this is a true, valuable account of a difficult cross-country move, and a nostalgic look back at the best of the life that was left behind. It is great to have this record, to revisit and recall, with fond emotion, the places, the people, and a special animal that made a former home memorable. Mark's opening essay, an account of a frightening occurrence on the road, with reflections about being a son and a father, is also great reading. This is a worthy third entry in the author's series of memoirs.
August 21, 2018
Received as a giveaway from Goodreads.
Enjoyable and touching memoir of fatherhood, finding love, and facing life’s changes (both planned and unexpected). I especially enjoyed the reminisces of Chicago.
Enjoyable and touching memoir of fatherhood, finding love, and facing life’s changes (both planned and unexpected). I especially enjoyed the reminisces of Chicago.
December 30, 2020
I received this book via Goodreads Giveaways - thanks !
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews