About R.J. Owens
From a young age R.J. loved the way words rolled around in his head and on his tongue which eventually lead him to his work as a community storyteller with the Oakland Tribune, a retail advertising copywriter, and a legal writer.
In 2026, R.J. explored a new aspect of his love of words and stories with the publication of Walk the Walk, a story inspired by his interest in the Civil Rights Movement and in portraying the resiliency and courage of children in trying situations.
R.J. is a native of Chicago, Illinois and a long-time resident of Oakland, California. His picture books include Cowgirl Dreaming, A Song So Black, So Proud!, and the forthcoming Sunshine's Coming Through.
R.J. is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
Fun Facts About Me:
What I wanted to be when I grew up:
Growing up in Chicago, I wanted to be a race car driver. Or a comic strip drawer. Or a skyscraper designer. And yeah, maybe even a writer. I always loved to read, especially biographies. People like Him Thorpe, or Harriet Tubman, or Jesse (no relation) Owens. I loved walking to the library in our Bronzeville neighborhood, especially on the alley route with its overgrown weeds in the summer that make it feel like a western movie. I didn't realize it at the time, but the library, the George Cleveland Hall branch, has a luminous history, playing host to literary superstars like Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Lorraine Hansberry, to name a few.
The author I’d most like to meet:
Meeting Maya Angelou would be stupendous. She was so singular, so strong, so cerebral, so earthy. And words like you've never heard, seen, or felt before. I once stood behind her in line at a Safeway in Oakland. Those were in the times when it was common to see people like her, Huey Newton, and Eldridge Cleaver in my Rockridge neighborhood. I didn't say anything to her, thinking she probably gets tired fans' attention. But who knows, maybe it would have been cool.
Favorite book read to me by Mom:
Hands down, or even hands up, it's got to be The Little Engine that Could. Mom could not wear that one out on me. She had to read it over and over and over again. And then over and over and over again. It was all about the "I think I can." I think that sentiment has stayed with me for all of these years. Like that time I had a nine hour flight delay in New York followed by a six hour layover in Minneapolis. "I think I can …" Thank you, Mom. And Little Engine.
Favorite non-writing hobby:
Daydreaming is what I'm inclined to do when I'm not writing. Or actually even when I am writing. That's where the ideas come from. Early days, teachers used to send me home with notes for my parents. "If he would only focus … " But I was focusing—on the story unfolding before my mind's eye. Of course, the teachers had a point, but you do the best you can. Aside from daydreaming, I also like to draw, read (of course), and belt out blue notes on the harmonica.