About Brennan

Hi, I'm Brennan (he/they)

Friends call me Kenny. I wear a lot of different hats!

I'm Queer, Red River Métis, and work as an author and web developer. I'm 30 years old, born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and currently based in Mohkínstsis in Treaty 7 territory. Starting in the summer of 2026, I will be the lead instructor of Fireweed Writing School!

I am currently the lead developer and founder of Berry House, a values-driven studio building fast, accessible JAMstack websites. In 2022, I founded Write Club, a creative collective for writers that grew from one person to 100+ members.

Quick Facts

  • Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • Age: 30
  • Work: Founder of Berry House; Independent literary journalist; Founder/former president of Write Club
  • Education: Bachelor of Arts, English (Honours) at Mount Royal University, graduated April 2025 (3.8 GPA); double minor in Creative Writing & Religious Studies
  • Writing: Publishing on Medium since 2015 (over 200 articles); nine independently published books
  • Daily practice: 1,000,000+ words journaled on 750words since September 17, 2011
  • Focus: writing craft, lyric essays, literary criticism, digital culture, accessibility, the independent web, decolonization, Indigenous studies

What I Do

Writing

I primarily write creative nonfiction (essays that are lyric and research-driven) and poetry. Topics typically include:

  • The craft of writing itself, and the life of a working writer
  • Literature and cultural criticism
  • Digital minimalism, the attention economy, and the independent web
  • Systems, routines, and the practical work of making a meaningful life

Currently, most of my public longform writing lives at: https://blog.brennanbrown.ca

Web Development

I build and maintain fast, accessible, content-first websites—usually with static-site tooling (Astro, Eleventy/11ty, Hugo, Jekyll) and progressive enhancement. Dozens of open-source projects. 95+ Lighthouse scores consistently.

I care a lot about:

  • Performance (shipping less JavaScript, sub-second load times)
  • Accessibility (A11y-first, WCAG 2.1 AA compliance)
  • Portability (local-first writing, plain text, version control, Markdown)
  • Owning your work (building sites people can actually keep and maintain)

Community

Write Club was started in September 2022 with just a couple students and grew into a collective of 100+ members. During my three years as President, we:

  • Run weekly writing meetups, workshops, and critique sessions
  • Published two anthologies
  • Fundraised for Canadian Children's Literacy Foundation and Ripple Foundation
  • Organized author readings, poetry slams, and bookstore collaborations
  • Built digital infrastructure (website, Discord server, social media presence)
  • Created a safe space centered on marginalized voices without tokenizing

Past Lives Still in the Mix

  • Music: Released 3 albums under the name Augustin from 2011-2016
  • Photography: Built a macro nature photography portfolio under username qvl on DeviantArt
  • Service work: Sous chef at Rotary Flames House (2015-2020), housekeeper for ServiceMaster Clean (2015-2019)
  • Crisis support: 7 Cups volunteer with 790+ support chats and 250+ individuals assisted

Disability Note

I have motor dysgraphia (handwriting impairment), paraoxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) (a heart condition), and deal with anxiety and depression. Email and typed communication is best for me.

Where to Find Me

Short Bio

Brennan Kenneth Brown is a Queer Métis author and web developer based in Calgary, Alberta. He has been publishing online since 2015, writing longform essays and lyric nonfiction across writing craft, literary criticism, and digital culture. He runs Berry House, a values-driven studio building accessible JAMstack websites, and founded a creative collective supporting emerging writers called Write Club.

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