Photo by Cori Storb
Joe Deany-Braun
Joe works with books, people, and space. His practice centers on the idea that reading is not merely consumption, but relation—an act of shared attention that engages the body, shapes the self, and deepens how we recognize one another.In 2020, Joe opened Perelandra Bookshop in partnership with nonprofit publisher Wolverine Farm. There he launched the Reader in Residence program, the first artist residency to treat reading itself as a creative act. Prior to Perelandra, he hosted over 100 authors, artists, and scholars through roles at some of the country’s most respected bookspaces.Joe has spoken at Poets & Writers, The Denver Post, the Biennial of the Americas, and elsewhere, and writes broadly on literary perception and belonging. He holds a BA in ecosystem science and an MFA in writing & poetics.