You've reached the homepage of Maura Johnston.
I'm a writer and editor who teaches at Boston College. I live in Allston, near where Aerosmith wrote the anti-gentrification banger "Movin' Out."
My wonderful, weird cat, Nuno, passed away in December 2025. I miss him so much every day. I'm volunteering at the Ellen M. Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton in his memory.
I've written about music and culture for three decades, with pieces published in The Boston Globe, Entertainment Weekly, Time, and Rolling Stone, as well as a bunch of now-defunct outlets that only live on the Wayback Machine.
I'm an adjunct instructor in the journalism department at Boston College, where I teach three classes: Writing About Popular Music, The Cultural Critic Online, and Journalism and New Media. I also advise the campus radio station WZBC and the student publication The Gavel.
I was a founding editor of the music blog Idolator and served as the music editor at The Village Voice.
I went to undergrad at Northwestern University, where I haphazardly designed a major in "the internet" (or, as it was called back then, "virtual communication").
I was born in Syosset, New York, and grew up in nearby Hicksville. Other famous Hicksville natives include Billy Joel, Lorraine Bracco, The Lemon Twigs, and the Long Island Medium.
I'm still (I know) working on getting up a more comprehensive archive of past clips, but for now, Google News has some of my recent work.
My DJ history stretches from Chicago to Princeton to Boston to the internet, with a couple of one-off stops in towns like Clemson, South Carolina. I had a show on TJ Connelly's uncertain.fm that is currently on extended hiatus. (Archived uncertain.fm playlists are here.) I am also on the board for WZBC, Boston College's haven for music lovers and other passionate types, although I haven't DJed there in a minute. (Archived WZBC playlists are at Spinitron.)
I can DJ your party or event. I can also help curate your mood, whether you're trying to perfect the vibe of your restaurant or looking to cheer up a friend. Get in touch.
I make a lot of Spotify playlists. Check them out here.
I've been an extra in four music videos.
I had a rough 2025, and 2026 didn't start off much better. But things are slowly improving. Ask me about the magic of sound baths!
I'm a reformed picky eater who still has weird issues with certain food textures.
I've been online in some fashion since 1990, but maura.com, the domain, turns 30 this summer!!