Jonathan Kelley (he/him) is the magazine editorial assistant for Sojourners. Born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, Jonathan graduated from Johnson University with a bachelor's in literature and theological studies before moving on to receive an M.A. in creative writing from the University of Portsmouth in the U.K. Previously, Jonathan worked as a teacher and children's minister, and he appreciates now having a job where he gets to talk with adults. (Inside scoop: The Sojo office turns out to be nearly as energetic as an elementary school classroom.)
Having recently come to terms with the fact that he’s not really an introvert, Jonathan can be found at various bars doing stand-up comedy, karaoke, or tripping on people’s shoes in the name of freestyle dance. Beyond that, he loves traveling, volunteering at his local soup kitchen, and getting lost in nature. Growing up outside the Great Smoky Mountains, environmental causes have always been important to Jonathan, and he was a founding member of his university's Creation Care team.
Jonathan loves history and literature, with a particular passion for postcolonial and experimental writings. He is currently inching his way through Mann's Joseph and His Brothers. After that, he claims he'll have the stamina for Proust. In his own art—be it essays, fiction, poems, or comics—Jonathan likes to reflect on nature, faith, alienation, and our dynamic relationship with memory, both on an individual and cultural basis. His writing can be found in a drawer at his bedside, but occasional escapees are made an example of and get strung up on his Substack.