Devin Johnston


Devin Johnston is an American poet, professor, publisher, and literary critic. He has written several books of poetry including Sources, which was shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry. He serves as the Eugene A. Hotfelder Professor in the Humanities at Saint Louis University, Missouri. In 2001, he co-founded Flood Editions with Michael O'Leary, and they remain co-editors of this non-profit, independent publisher.

Life and Career

Although Johnston was born in Canton, New York, he grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He began to write poetry at a young age but published only a few poems even into his twenties.
After receiving a BA from Oberlin College in 1992, Johnston studied to earn a PhD at The University of Chicago. From 1995 to 2000, while earning his degree and shortly after, he worked as poetry editor and managing editor for Chicago Review. Even before graduating from The University of Chicago in 1999, Johnston began to plan the founding of Flood Editions with his friend Michael O'Leary.
Flood Editions released its first two books in 2001. Currently, the press publishes 4 volumes of poetry, short prose, and art each year.
In the same year, Johnston released his own first book of poetry, Telepathy, through the Australian independent publisher Paper Bark Press.
Also soon after graduating from The University of Chicago, Johnston entered his first academic position at St. Louis University. As a professor there today, Johnston teaches literature and creative writing. His courses focus mainly on poetry. In addition to his teaching, Johnston organizes a speakers series and workshops at local prisons through the Saint Louis University Prison Education Program.

Works

Poetry

Literary Criticism

Awards and Recognition

In 2012, Johnston was awarded the Friends of Literature prize by the Poetry Foundation for his poems New Song and A Close Shave.
The New York Times's "Best Poetry Books of 2015" included Johnston's fifth collection of poetry, Far-Fetched, and its "Best Poetry Books of 2019" included his seventh collection, Mosses and Lichens.