T. Geronimo Johnson

T. Geronimo Johnson is a novelist and filmmaker affiliated with Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) as a faculty member. He has taught writing at institutions including UC Berkeley, Stanford, Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and San Quentin. Johnson holds an MFA in Poetry from Iowa Writers’ Workshop and advanced degrees in Language, Literacy & Culture from UC Berkeley (ABD and MA).

His literary works have received widespread recognition, including a Time Magazine top ten book of 2015, National Book Award longlist selection, and the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. Johnson’s career spans diverse teaching environments and roles, reflecting his interdisciplinary engagement with creative writing and social justice themes.

Scientific Awards & Honors

• PEN/Faulkner Award finalist (2013)
• Hurston/Wright Legacy Award shortlist (2016)
• National Book Award longlist
• Saroyan International Prize for Writing
• Ernest J. Gaines Award (2015)
• Simpson Family Literary Prize (2017)
• Rome Prize Fellow (2017-2018)