Varian Johnson

Varian Johnson was born in 1977, and grew up in Florence, SC. He has a twin brother and a younger sister, and his parents, unlike many of his characters, were actually pretty good in the parenting department. Varian excelled in many subjects while growing up, specifically math and science. He was the typical high school "geek"; he played the baritone horn in marching band, was a member of the Wilson High School Academic Challenge Team, and counted his Hewlett-Packard 48G calculator as one of his most prized possessions. However, Varian also enjoyed English, especially creative writing. In 1995, after graduating from high school (as co-valedictorian, along with his twin brother), he packed up his Mercury Topaz and traveled halfway across the country to the University of Oklahoma, where he majored in Civil Engineering. While at OU, Varian joined a fraternity, met a very wonderful woman who would later become his wife, and, most importantly (at least in the context of writing), finished the first draft of A Red Polka Dot in a World Full of Plaid. For being a little-bitty book by a little-bitty publisher, A Red Polka Dot in a World Full of Plaid has done pretty well. It made the Essence Magazine bestselller list in March 2006 (#6 for Paperback Fiction). Later that year, it was published as an audiobook by Recorded Books. Varian”s second novel, My Life as a Rhombus, is about a math tutor named Rhonda Lee. In 2009, the book was named to the Texas Library Association”s Tayshas High School Reading List and the New York Public Library”s "Stuff For The Teen Age" List. His third novel, Saving Maddie, was named a Bank Street College of Education Best Children”s Book. His newest novel, The Great Greene Heist, is his first work for younger readers. It was recently named a Publishers Weekly Best Summer Book of 2014. Kirkus praised the novel in a starred review, stating, "The elaborate bait and switch of this fast-paced, funny caper novel will surprise its readers as much as the victims. They”ll want to reread immediately so they can admire the setup."

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