Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Johnny Townsend papers, 1977-2023
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Townsend, Johnny
- Title
- Johnny Townsend papers
- Dates
- 1977-2023 (inclusive)19772023
- Quantity
- 13 linear feet, (28 boxes)
- Collection Number
- ACCN 2677
- Summary
- The Johnny Townsend papers (1977-2023) contain the daily journals of Johnny Townsend (b. 1961), an ex-LDS Church member, writer and advocate for the rights of the gay community. The journals highlight Townsend's struggle to reconcile his religious upbringing with his emerging sense of homosexual identity. The collection also contains personal records including, but not limited to, school transcripts and standardized test scores, and email correspondence (2006-2014). Furthermore, the Townsend papers include various manuscripts including a thesis and short stories.
- Repository
-
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860
Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Johnny Townsend (b. 1961) was born and raised in and around New Orleans, Louisiana. After serving an LDS mission in Italy, he returned to Louisiana to attend the University of New Orleans. He later went on to earn an MFA from Louisiana State University. A prolific writer, his essays have appeared in numerous renowned publications and he has written and self-published several books about the experiences of gay Latter-day Saints. He currently resides with his partner in Seattle, Washington.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Johnny Townsend papers (1977-2023) contain the daily journals, emails, and records of Johnny Townsend (b. 1961), an ex-LDS Church member, writer and advocate for the rights of the gay community.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.
Preferred Citation
Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Acquisition Information
Donated by Johnny Townsend in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Processing Note
Processed by Matthew Weathered in 2013.
Addendum processed by Kevin Priest in 2014.
Addendum processed by Sean Taylor in 2015.
Addendum processed by Kevin Priest in 2016. Addenda from 2017-2023 processed by Kristina Barksdale in 2024. Click here to read a statement on harmful language in library records.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
I: JournalsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | "Early Life" |
1979 |
| 1 | 2 | "Young Latter-Day Saint" |
1977-1978 |
| 1 | 3 | "In My Youth" |
1978 |
| 1 | 4 | "Senior Year" |
1978 |
| 1 | 5 | "High School Graduation" |
1979 |
| 1 | 6 | "New Experiences" |
1979 |
| 1 | 7 | "Freshman Year at College" |
1979-1980 |
| 1 | 8 | Journals |
1998 |
| 2-10 | Journals |
1980-2007 | |
| Folder | |||
| 11 | 1 | Records |
1939-2000 |
| 11 | 2 | Baby Book |
1960s |
| 11 | 3 | Journals |
2007-2008 |
| 11 | 4 | Journals |
2008-2013 |
II: Correspondence and Other MaterialsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 11 | 5 | Email |
2006-2007 |
| 12 | 6 | Email |
2010-2012 |
| 12 | 7 | Email |
2012 |
| 12 | 8 | Email |
2013 |
| 12 | 9 | Photographs
Photocopies. Originals may be found in the Multimedia Division of Special Collections.
|
1960-1999 |
| 12 | 10 | Portrait |
1999 |
| 12 | 11 | Writing |
1991-2013 |
| 12 | 12 | Correspondence and Memorabilia |
|
| 13 | 1-2 | E-mails |
2014 |
III: AddendaReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 14 | 1 | Manuscript
"The Sneakover Prince"
|
|
| 14 | 2 | Manuscripts
"The Resurrection of the American," "Granny's Secret Vice," "The Gale of Bitterness," "Why I Am Not A Traitor," "Desperate Escape," and "Valentine's Day - If You Asked Me To"
|
|
| 14 | 3 | Manuscripts
"Edited Out," "To Open The Eyes Of The Blind," "The Dissemination of Greed," "Happy Valley," and "A Breath Of Fresh Air"
|
|
| 14 | 4 | Reviews and Commentary |
1995-1997 |
| 14 | 5 | Book Magnets |
|
| 15 | Wood carving and Cameo |
||
| Folder | |||
| 16 | 1 | Graphic Novel by Brian Anderson |
|
| 16 | 2 | 'Civil Unions' by Donna Banta, edited by Johnny Townsend |
|
| 16 | 3-4 | Journals and Correspondence 2016 |
|
| 16 | 5 | Correspondence Regarding 'The Upstairs Fire' |
|
| 16 | 6 | The Washing of Brains, unpublished manuscript |
|
| 16 | 7 | Contracts and Correspondence |
|
| 16 | 8 | Photocopied journal entries |
|
| 16 | 9 | "Inheriting Disaster," by CL Hammer |
|
| 17 | Promotional Tee Shirts |
||
| Folder | |||
| 18 | 1 | Email correspondence |
2014 |
| 18 | 2-4 | Email correspondence |
2015 |
| 18 | 5-6 | Email correspondence |
2016 |
| 19 | 1 | Journal |
2013-2016 |
| 19 | 2 | BYU electroshock documentary resources |
|
| 19 | 3 | Letters received while teaching at SUNO |
1995 |
| 19 | 4 | Correspondence |
|
| 19 | 5 | Pioneer Award recommendation |
2016 |
| 19 | 6 | One Archive Foundation donation receipts |
2016 |
| 19 | 7 |
Stripling Warrior issues 1 and 2 |
2016 |
| 19 | 8 | Townsend's edits on Seer Stone
|
|
| 19 | 9 |
Mormon Punk manuscript by Christopher Bigelow |
|
| 19 | 10 | "Same-Sex Love in Malory's Morte Darthur" |
approximately 1988 |
| 19 | 11 | "Heterophobia in Orson Scott Card's Short Stories" |
Approximately 1992 |
| 19 | 12 | "The Crying Game's Tears--Misogyny or Masculinity?" |
Approximately 1993 |
| 19 | 13 | "Opiod Receptors" |
Approximately 1997 |
| 19 | 14 | "Un Equilibrio Precario" |
2007 |
| 19 | 15 | Op-Eds |
2016 |
| 19 | 16 | Kirkus Review, Invasion of the Spirit Snatchers
|
2016 |
| 19 | 17 |
Interview with a Mission President manuscript |
2016 |
| 19 | 18 | Johnny Townsend bibliography |
2016 |
| 19 | 19 | Book Magnets |
|
| 19 | 20 |
The Kindness of Strangers Anthology publication contract |
2016 |
| 19 | 21 | Copyright registration certificates |
2009-2016 |
| 19 | 22 | Photographs of Johnny Townsend
Photocopies. Originals may be found in the Multimedia Division of Special Collections.
|
|
| 19 | 23 | 20th Seattle Gay and Lesbian Film Festival guest pass |
2015 |
| 20 | 1 | Book file hosting list, contracts, copyright registrations, reviews, articles by or featuring Townsend, reprinting permissions |
1999, 2007-2017 |
| 20 | 2 | Story drafts |
|
| 20 | 3 | Email correspondence, 1 of 2 |
2016-2017 |
| 20 | 4 | Email correspondence, 2 of 2 |
2016-2017 |
| 20 | 5 | Story drafts and copyright registration |
2017 |
| 20 | 6 | Correspondence and diary entries |
2017-2018 |
| 21 | 1 | Story drafts |
|
| 21 | 2 | Correspondence, clippings, and story drafts |
1998, 2007, 2018-2019 |
| 21 | 3 | Correspondence and printed diary entries |
2018-2019 |
| 21 | 4 | Copyright registrations, reviews, list of Townsend's works |
2019 |
| 21 | 5 | Correspondence and printed diary entries |
2019-2020 |
| 22 | 1 | Correspondence and printed diary entries |
2018 |
| 22 | 2 | Correspondence and printed diary entries |
2018 |
| 22 | 3 | Printed diary entries |
2019-2021 |
| 22 | 4 | Printed diary entries |
2019-2021 |
| 22 | 5 | "Resisting Fascist Drama" newsletter, birthday cards, and diary entries |
2020 |
| 23 | 1 | "Stripling Warrior" issues and magnet set |
|
| 23 | 2 | Parts of "Pre-Bucket List" |
|
| 23 | 3 | "Have Your Cum and Eat It Too" notes and drafts |
|
| 23 | 4 | "Strangers With Benefits" notes and drafts |
|
| 23 | 5 | "Glory To The Glory Hole" notes and drafts |
|
| 23 | 6 | Writing excerpts and notes |
|
| 23 | 7 | Upstairs Lounge Fire materials |
2011-2012 |
| 23 | 8 | Copyright registrations, donations, reviews, and writing excerpts |
2011-2020 |
| 23 | 9 | Copyright registrations, reviews, writing excerpts, list of Townsend works, critique of "Birdwatching" |
2018 |
| 23 | 10 | Writing excerpts and notes |
2018 |
| 23 | 11 | "Freedom Socialist" August/September issue, Townsend article "In Defense of the U.S. Postal Service" |
2020 |
| 24 | 1 | Printed diary entries |
2021 |
| 24 | 2 | Printed diary entries, May-August |
2022 |
| 24 | 3 | Copyright registrations, articles, writing excerpts, printed diary entries, list of Townsend's works |
2021-2022 |
| 25 | 1 | Correspondence, copyright registrations, and writing excerpts |
2007; 2021 |
| 25 | 2 | Correspondence and Democratic Socialists of America membership card |
2012 |
| 25 | 3 | "Orgy at the STD Clinic" partial draft and cover ideas |
2021 |
| 25 | 4 | Gary Tolman, Freedom Socialist Party materials |
2021 |
| 25 | 5 | Correspondence, diary entries, and writing excerpts |
2022-2023 |
| 25 | 6 | Correspondence, diary entries, and writing excerpts |
2022-2023 |
| 26 | 1 | Printed diary entries, August 1-25 |
2023 |
| 26 | 2 | Printed diary entries, August 25-September 18 |
2023 |
| 26 | 3 | Printed diary entries, September 19-October 16 |
2023 |
| 26 | 4 | "Insight" newsletter, Townsend article on the Upstairs Lounge Fire |
2023 |
| 26 | 5 | Email and "Crosscut" article |
2023 |
| 27 | 1 | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, "The Uniform System for Teaching Families" manual |
1973 |
| 28 | 1 | Card from "Texas AF" cast and crew
DVD transferred to Multimedia
|
|
| 28 | 2 | Card from Gary Tolman to Johnny Townsend |
2017, 2021 |
| 28 | 3 | Correspondence and Christmas letter from Jerry Argetsinger |
2021-2022 |
| 28 | 4 | Film option agreement for Upstairs Lounge Fire book |
2022 |
| 28 | 5 | List of publications as of May 4 |
2022 |
| 28 | 6 | "Please Evacuate", first two sections of planned six-section novel, work in progress |
2022 |
| 28 | 7 | "Recommended Daily Humanity" essays, work in progress |
2022 |
| 28 | 8 | Printed diary entries, November to 2022 |
2021-2022 |
| 28 | 9 | Gary Tolman presentation on homelessness |
2020 |
| 28 | 10 | Handwritten story drafts, cover design ideas for "Orgy at the STD Clinic" |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Homosexuality--Religious aspects
- Latter Day Saint gay people--Religious life
Personal Names
- Townsend, Johnny--Archives
Form or Genre Terms
- Journals (accounts)
Finding aid created by Matthew Weathered and Kevin Priest.
2013 (last modified: 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2023)
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