Author Biography
Clare Johnson is a multidisciplinary writer + visual artist interested in celebrating overlooked spaces and histories, opening up connections/empathy by fostering intimacy in places we usually share anonymously. Honors include fellowships from Jack Straw, Hugo House and Crosstown Arts; residencies at Mineral School, Surel’s Place and James Castle House; and publications including Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods' Seattle Histories series, where you can find her lyric essay about growing up queer on Capitol Hill during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s and 90s. Recent public art projects include a scavenger hunt of art on the backs of traffic signs (currently viewable in West Seattle), a mural around the entrance of DESC's Bloomside permanent supportive housing in Burien, and window art in Cal Anderson Park about HIV and family (the originals from which are on display at Gay City: Seattle's LGBTQ+ Center). Her recently completed hybrid manuscript, Will I live here when I grow up, mixes poetry, memoir, art, family stories and lost queer histories. For almost two decades Clare has also drawn/written on a post-it every night to hold onto something from each ending day, making over 6,000 pieces so far, which were excerpted for years in a monthly Seattle Review of Books lyric essay column. Her new lyric memoir piece for TrailOff, an app combining stories with tailor-made walking routes and sound design, is available for free to experience in Seattle. Follow Clare on IG for more work and projects.