Simon Johnson

Background

Simen Johannessen was born in Øyer in Oppland County, Norway.

Career

He frequently wrote about Norwegian-American immigrant frontier and pioneer life. He is most associated with his novel, From Fjord to Prairie or in the New Kingdom. His family emigrated to the United States in 1881, when he was 7 years old.

In 1882 they moved into a sod house located in Traill County, North Dakota.

The children had little schooling and Simon was largely self-taught. Johnson took the job as secretary to the temperance movement in North Dakota in 1901 and continued with it for 7 years.

He bought his own property near Minot, North Dakota and began on his writing. In 1907, his first novel Et geni was published.

His next book, Fortælling followed in 1909.

Fire fortællinger was released in 1917. Fallitten paa Braastad, written in 1922 tells of a farm built by hard work. The 1925 novel Frihetens hjem was a sequel with a focus on next-generation emigrants.

Johnson" s third book, I et nyt rige was published in 1914.

lieutenant was subsequently translated into English and two years later published by Augsburg Publishing House under the title From Fjord to Prairie or in the New Kingdom. Johnson often provided a description of poor immigrant farmers on the prairie.

He also wrote about the moral struggle in avoid alcoholism. Johnson frequently provided an idealized image of Norwegian folk culture.

During 1910-1911 Johnson went back to Norway to give lectures on Norwegian American culture.

In 1912 he received membership in the Norwegian Society for Literature. During 1920-1924, he moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota where he was editor of the Norwegian language publication Nordmands. In 1929, he moved to Decorah, Iowa to work as co-editor of Decorah-Posten.

He served there until his retirement in 1945.

He died during 1970 in Winneshiek County, Iowa at 95 years of age. Johnson, Simon (2009) From Fjord to Prairie or in the New Kingdom ( Charles Orrin Solberg, translator Kessinger Publishing).

Achievements

• At the same time, he was often skeptical of populist groups in the Midwest and he criticized American political efforts to achieve assimilation. Simon Johnson was appointed Knight of the First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav in 1954.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Fallitten Paa Braastad: Fortælling... (Danish Edition)

    (This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)

  • Fallitten Paa Braastad

    (Brown cloth boards. Front board gold impressed lettering ...)