For millions of people, Tareasa “Reesa Teesa” Johnson became a face on a phone screen, the woman telling the story of a marriage that unraveled through her 50-part TikTok series, “Who TF Did I Marry?”
Now, she wants people to know what happened after the story ended.
Johnson will bring her new memoir, “What (TF) Do I Do Now?: Reclaiming Myself, One Piece at a Time,” to the Decatur Book Festival Oct. 2 to 3, joining more than 80 authors for the free literary festival in downtown Decatur. Her memoir, released Aug. 18, turns the lens away from the relationship that made her a viral sensation and toward the woman rebuilding her life after it.
“I didn’t want the series to kind of define me,” Johnson said. “The book is really getting to know me.”
That distinction is at the heart of Johnson’s next chapter.
When “Who TF Did I Marry?” took off, Johnson had no idea the story she initially shared on TikTok would become a 50-part series known far beyond Atlanta. She said she expected perhaps a few hundred or a few thousand views.
Instead, people around the world recognized her story after hearing it translated to other languages.
The attention opened doors to opportunities she never expected, including writing a book. But Johnson said going viral came with a cost, too.
There were moments when she questioned whether she would have shared her story publicly had she known what would follow.
“I think I would have chickened out, and I never would have done it,” she said.
Today, she said she is glad she did.
The memoir, however, is not simply an expanded version of her viral series. Johnson describes it as an act of reclaiming her name, her time, her life and her purpose.
The experience of writing it was also far more vulnerable than telling a story through video.
“It is one thing to record a video,” Johnson said. “It’s another thing to sit down and write out the innermost thoughts and fears that you have.”
Johnson said the hardest question throughout the writing process was how honest she was willing to be. Rather than presenting a carefully edited version of herself, she chose to confront her mistakes, recognize patterns and examine what she was learning.
That honesty extends to the book’s larger message.
Johnson hopes readers who have experienced disappointment in love or felt embarrassed by what happened to them will see themselves in her story and realize they are not alone.
“I hope that this book alleviates that, and at the very least, they realize, man, you know, it wasn’t just me,” Johnson said.
That idea of rebuilding has also changed how Johnson thinks about her own future. She said goals can change as people grow and that dreams sometimes need to be “edited” to fit the person someone has become.
“Now my goal is more about, I want to be okay with me,” she said.
That may be one of the biggest differences between the woman audiences met through TikTok and the woman they will encounter through her memoir.
The Decatur Book Festival offers Johnson an opportunity to make that introduction in person. She grew up in the Metro Atlanta area and said returning home as part of the literary festival carries a special meaning.
“Home is welcoming you and inviting you to be a part of it,” Johnson said.
The 21st annual Decatur Book Festival will feature readings, conversations and signings with more than 80 national, regional and local authors. The lineup spans genres including memoir, nonfiction, fiction, poetry and young adult literature. The Saturday street fair will feature more than 125 exhibitors, including authors, poets, publishers, booksellers, artists, local businesses and nonprofit organizations.
Other featured authors include Tomi Adeyemi, Tayari Jones, Marcia Chatelain and Silas House.
The festival schedule, including Johnson’s specific appearance details, is expected to be released in early September.
“Every person has a story or experience that can help somebody else,” Johnson said. “And I feel like this book has something in there that can help each and every reader.”
