Biography (as of 1999)

Award winning New Orleans writer/photographer Leonard Earl Johnson was born, as named, August 22, 1943, at Cairo, Illinois (USA) of restaurant owners Gordon H. and Margaret E. Johnson.

Educated: Ullin, Illinois public schools; Southern Illinois University, Carbondale; Seafarer's Harry Lundberg School of Seamanship, Piny Point, Maryland.

Resides since 1977, Faubourg Marigny, New Orleans, Louisiana;
previously, Tucson, Arizona (1969); and San Francisco, California (1969-72).

Employment: Librarian's Assistant, University of Arizona, Tucson. Sous Chef, Ben's Epicure, San Francisco. Chef, Chateau Blu, San Francisco. And thirteen years as Merchant Seaman, sailing from the port of New Orleans.

1989-96, wrote weekly syndicated column titled "Yours Truly in a Swamp" (distributed by ONS-Orleans News Service, New Orleans; and NEWSX, Oakton, Virginia). Currently published monthly in LES AMIS de MARIGNY (NEW ORLEANS)

Photography Exhibitions
One-man Shows:
CAHA Gallery, Guam, Mariana Islands (Sponsored by Arts Council of Guam).
Casa de Cultura Laura Alvim, Ipanema, Brazil (Sponsored by U.S. State Department & Brazilian State of Rio de Janeiro, & American Airlines).Page 1 Page 2
CitiCorp Wall Street, New York City.
Lesbian and Gay Community Center, New Orleans.
Live Oak Gallery, Lafayette, Louisiana.
New Orleans World Trade Center (sponsored by Lufthansa German Airlines).
NO/AIDS Task Force, New Orleans.
Oregon State University, Corvallis.
Windows Gallery, New Orleans (site of Barry Goldwater cocktail party, at 1989 Republican National Convention).

Group Shows:
Contemporary Art Center (various), New Orleans.
First Annual Insomniaciathon, Eisenhower Center for the Study of Americana, University of New Orleans.
Japanese Seaman's Union Annual Art Exhibition, Tokyo.
Mitchell Art Museum, Mount Vernon, Illinois.
Project Harmony/Barnes & Nobel Books, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Project Harmony/Louisiana State Archives, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Works held in:
Casa de Cultura Laura Alvim, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Center for Creative Photography/University of Arizona, Tucson.
Historic New Orleans Collection.
Mitchell Art Museum, Mount Vernon, Illinois. Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4
New Orleans Museum of Art.
Preservation Hall, New Orleans.
Paul Hall Library, Seafarer's Harry Lundberg School of Seamanship, Piney Point, Maryland.
And many private collections (private list not published).

Writer's
Publication List:
The Advocate (national)
All About Austin (Texas)
Ambush (New Orleans)
Baltimore Alternative (Baltimore/D.C.)
Christopher Street South (Pensacola)
Community News (Honolulu)
Crescent City Star (New Orleans)
Driftwood (University of New Orleans)
Echo Magazine (Tucson/national)
Exquisite Corpse, Louisiana State University & Illinois State Univesity publishers; Andrei Codrescu, editor (national)
A Friendly Voice (Tampa)
Gambit Weekly (1996 New Orleans Press Club Award)
The Guide (New Orleans)
Hot Spots (Atlanta)
Houston Voice (Houston/Galveston)
Hullabaloo (Tulane University)
Impact (New Orleans)
KA, Daily Egyptian (Southern Illinois University, Carbondale)
Les Amis de Marigny (New Orleans)
Metroline (Hartford/New England)
New Orleans This Week
The New Voice (Houston)
Newsline (NO/AIDS Task Force, New Orleans
LAMBDA Book Rport (D.C./national)
Out Magazine (Albuquerque/Juarez, Mexico)
Outlines (Chicago/national)
Patlar Magazine (Sacramento/national)
Pittsburgh's Out
Rooster (New Orleans)
The Sentinel (San Francisco)
The Saint Bernard News (Saint Bernard Parish, Louisiana)
Southern Voice (Atlanta)
Southern Forum (New Orleans/U.S. Gulf)
The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
Wild Side (New York City)

AWARDS:
New Orleans Percent for Art 1990 photography selection: "Before Dinner, Madewood".
New Orleans Press Club 1996 "Excellence in Journalism Awaard", for 1995 GAMBIT WEEKLY article, "Death by Hate Crime".
Photographers Forum Magazine, 1985 Best of Photography selection, "Before Dinner, Madewood".
President Robert MacVicar Art Workshop, Oregon State University, Corvalis.
Teaching contract, Percent for Art, "Prison Art Book Project", Orleans Parish Prison (administered by Arts Council of New Orleans).
United Way, THE RESEARCH & LISTENING REPORT, June 1995, excerpts quoted from "Death by Hate Crime".
Given honor by Louisiana Govenor Mike Foster of presenting pen used signing 1997 Louisiana Hate Crimes Bill to William Balog, fater of Joseph Balog, subject of "Death by Hate Crime".
U.S. Park Service, 1997 "Trails & Rails" service award.
U.S. Park Service, 1998 "Trails & Rails" service award.
1997 Project Harmony exhibiton selection, curated by William Fagely.
Appreciation commendation signed by entire New Orleans City Council, "For your efforts for passage of Louisiana's hate crimes law", dated "11st Day of November 1997".
Key to the City of New Orleans, December 1997.

Leonard Earl Johnson
ONS-Orleans News Service
P.O. Box 72002
New Orleans, Louisiana 70172-2002

phone: 504/948-6773