Inspired by a poetry slam, he used lawn gnomes as a model for his business — working hard after hours so everyone could enjoy the fruits of his labor.
Johnson has since then become the lawn gnome of downtown Phoenix — making crepes at Jobot Coffee Shop, writing poetry, hosting and performing in poetry slams, writing and advising a sketch-comedy show for First Friday Night Live and owning a bookstore that doubles as a publishing company.
Living and running a business in 12 feet by 12 feet of space was not Johnson’s ideal situation, but it was his reality until a few months ago.
Still avoiding a commute, Johnson’s bookstore, Lawn Gnome Publishing, will leave the Firehouse Gallery and join the eclectic group on Roosevelt Row and Fifth Street Feb. 1.
“It seemed like the natural progression of things,” Johnson said.
From working as the backroom manager at Barnes & Noble for six years to touring as a slam poetry performer, he felt ready for a more permanent lifestyle.
After moving downtown four years ago, Johnson became heavily involved in the arts community, but he felt something was lacking on “the street of dreams.” He believed the missing element was a bookstore.
Joey G., a fellow downtown dreamer and owner of Fillmore Creative, thinks it’s ambitious to open a bookstore. “It’s not like people are buying that many books anymore,” he said.
Despite the Internet’s prevalence, books are still important, Johnson countered.
To reinforce this idea, Johnson does not post his writing online and encourages people to buy his books.
“I’ve got everything from anarchist pamphlets to romance novels,” Johnson said, hopeful the bookstore will attract all ages.
This will be the first local used bookstore in downtown Phoenix.
All of Lawn Gnome Publishing’s books use 100 percent recycled paper. The bookshelves are constructed from wood found in the neighborhood, Johnson said.
Johnson’s publishing company specializes in handmade “zine” book formats that people can trade like baseball cards, making them easy to share and gain a wider audience.
He said the zines also helped him get approved by the bookstore’s landlord, Mitch Hudack, who owns several lots on Roosevelt Row and critically evaluates his tenants.
“He wants to see that you’re motivated, that you have a plan,” Johnson said. “In lots of ways, I had to pass a test to move in there.”
Joey G. foresees the bookstore bringing more shoppers to the area.
Johnson aims to create cultural awareness and plans to showcase work by local artists.
“A lot of people, artists, musicians, active agents that keep the culture functioning, are already down here,” Joey G. added.
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Johnson dedicated his life to the art of literary performance at an early age.
While in Cub Scouts, his mother, Robin Johnson, said he was the one who enjoyed the accolades and attention of doing the skits. “From then on it developed into what he does with poetry,” she said.
A speech and debate scholarship helped him pay for attending Northern Arizona University, where he graduated in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication. Johnson spent the next two years performing poetry out of Flagstaff, touring with underground hip-hop acts and beginning to assemble Lawn Gnome.
Johnson currently tours in more mature environments, focusing on libraries, high schools and universities. “Most of my poetry is geared toward literacy and things college kids care about,” he said.
Spoken-word performances in Phoenix have been in a lull since their peak around 2009. But Johnson and Joey G. see revitalization potential in the future.
“People will have a newly invigorated spirit for poetry and slam poetry,” Joey G. said.
After performing poetry in six countries and 45 states, Johnson hopes to reinvigorate the spirit of poetry by giving slam poetry a home in his bookstore.
“I think poetry is the quintessential form of art,” he said. “It’s how we metaphorically think of things in our language.”
Other plans for the establishment include intimate musical performances, writing workshops and a miniature 18-hole golf course in the front yard with each hole designed by a different local artist.
“If he’s doing workshops and poetry slams, it shows that he is not only interested in promoting literacy and its dynamic development, but also actively participating in it,” Joey G. said.
He named Johnson as one of the most active participants in the downtown Phoenix scene.
“I go for broke on everything I do,” Johnson said. But he did much better than that on the bookstore.
Johnson raised a grand total of $2,228 Sunday through Kickstarter, an online funding platform that charges supporters only when the set goal is met. He exceeded his original goal of $2,000 and will be shipping gifts to every person that donated.
“He’s able to demand so much with so little,” Joey G. said.
With more space, plenty of books and a fully supportive community, downtown Phoenix’s lawn gnome will meet his demands.
“This is the beginning of a new thing for me,” Johnson said.
Contact the reporter at ahavir@asu.edu
