Kurt Johnson

Kurt Johnson’s debut novel, The Barrens, will be released in May of 2022. The Barrens is about two young women who take a 450-mile canoe trip on the Thelon River through the uninhabited Arctic tundra of the Barren Lands in northern Canada. The novel was written with the help of his daughter, Ellie, who did the 450-mile journey. His daughter is also gay. The story is the product of the author working to understand her physical journey through the Barren Lands and her journey as a gay woman coming of age. Kurt is a graduate of Hampshire College and the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of business. He currently resides in Minneapolis.

Artist Blog Posts
Year-Long Writing Project Student Publications
The Barrens by Kurt Johnson
I enrolled in Peter Geye’s first Year-Long Novel Writing Project in the fall of 2016. I had previously written a draft of a memoir and a first novel, so I knew I had both the discipline and desire. My plan was to write third book written with the help of a seasoned professional.
Kurt Johnson
Nov. 4