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Portrait of Denis Johnson

Denis Johnson

(1949–2017) Poet United States

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Denis Johnson was a poet from the United States, best known for Tree of Smoke: A Novel.

Quick Facts About Denis Johnson

Born
July 1, 1949
Died
May 24, 2017
Nationality
United States
Profession
Poet
Notable works
Tree of Smoke: A Novel
Known for
Tree of Smoke, The Name of the World, Jesus' Son, The Laughing Monsters, Angels

About Denis Johnson

Denis Hale Johnson was an American novelist, short-story writer, and poet. He is perhaps best known for his debut short story collection, Jesus' Son (1992). His most successful novel, Tree of Smoke (2007), won the National Book Award for Fiction. Johnson was twice shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Altogether, Johnson was the author of nine novels, one novella, two books of short stories, three collections of poetry, two collections of plays, and one book of reportage. His final work, a book of short stories titled The Largesse of the Sea Maiden, was published posthumously in 2018. Ted Geltner's biography of the writer, Flagrant, Self-Destructive Gestures, appeared in late 2025.

Biography source: Wikipedia

Awards & Honors

National Book Award for Fiction Whiting Awards Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction O. Henry Award Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction Guggenheim Fellowship

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