Soulcatcher and Other Stories

by Charles R. Johnson

Twelve stories about the African experience of slavery in America, by the National Book Award-winning novelist.

Nothing has had as profound an effect on American life as slavery. For blacks and whites alike, the experience has left us with a conflicted and contradictory history. Now, famed novelist Charles Johnson, whose Middle Passage won the National Book Award, presents a dozen tales of the effects and experience of slavery, each based on historical fact, and each about those Africans who arrived on our shores in shackles. From Martha Washington's management of her slaves, bequeathed to her at the death of the first president, to a boy chained in the bowels of a ship plying the infamous passage from Africa to the South laden with human cargo, from a lynching in Indiana to a hunter of escaped slaves searching the Boston market for his quarry, from an early Quaker meeting exploring resettlement in Africa to the day after Emancipation-the voices, terrors, and savagery of slavery come vividly and unforgettably to life.

These stories, told by a master storyteller, transcend history even as they present it, and retell the mythic proportions of a historical period with astounding realism and beauty, power, and emotion.

Genres: Short Stories, Historical Fiction, Fiction, African American

132 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2001

About the author

Charles R. Johnson is an American scholar and author of novels, short stories, and essays. Johnson, an African-American, has directly addressed the issues of black life in America in novels such as Middle Passage and Dreamer. Johnson first came to prominence in the 1960s as a political cartoonist, at which time he was also involved in radical politics. In 1970, he published a collection of cartoons, and this led to a television series about cartooning on PBS.

1990 National Book Award Winner.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this because I read "Middle Passage" by the same author a while ago and enjoyed it. This is a collection of short stories, all about slavery. They were written to accompany a PBS series "Africans in America", according to the preface by the author. These stories suffered somewhat by being so short - the book is only 110 pages, with twelve stories. I was looking for more depth. Maybe I was expecting too much - after all they are short stories so by their very nature there is not much room for detail. But I did enjoy the read, accepting this short-coming.

[Barbara "Cookie" Serfaty Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soulcatcher: And Other Stories

This is a book of short stories of Black in America post Civil War. Story about Martha Washington, Fredrick Douglas, and other people of a sad time in American History. Some are funny, some are thought protein, and other are just sad. A book all should read.

[Susan Frazier-Kouassi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The legacy of slavery hangs over us despite all of the changes and progress in history. This collection of fictionalized short stories shed light on the realities of life for Blacks during the Middle Passage, slavery, and post-slavery America. Good reading for young people who may be less aware of this country's history.

[Caltin Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very moving. Very relevant.

[Rosaland Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have learned about some of my history from reading these short stories. Loved it!

[Diana Theisen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Individual stories about how blacks were misused and mistreated.

[Nessa Mae · Rating 1 out of 5]

Johnson's collection of short stories about slavery were meek and indescriptive. They relied to heavily on the assumed knowledge of the leader. Furthermore, too many of the stories were not about the lives of slaves but others related to the life and slavery. Only one story, "Transmission" which discusses the middle passage is telling but the rest fall short of being even slightly entertaining. Not worth reading. There are other anthologies or literary accounts of slavery which are more better written.

[Gabrielle]

This collection of fiction short stories can be used in the classroom to study slavery in the United States from multiple perspectives. The stories are short enough where students won't feel bogged down with the text and interesting to spark engaging discussions. This can also be used to model writing from a historical perspective and the amount of research and accuracy required to write in such context.

[KitCat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very short stories but worth the read because you feel for the characters and it takes you beyond comfort zone. The author makes no solidified judgment on right versus wrong.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay. A couple of the stories would make very interesting novels. Nice, quick read though.

[Chris Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

classic. short, AND sweet. one of the best collection of short stories you can read. "Transmission" was like, a mini-novel in itself. incredble. Charles Johnson, one of the best writers living.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kindle, library.

[Nathan Marone]

After appreciating a couple of his novels, it was a real treat to read these Charles Johnson short stories. They were commissioned to supplement the PBS documentary "Africans in America."

The subtitle on the book, "12 powerful stories of slavery" is a little misleading, as most of the stories deal with the political realities that surrounded slavery in America. Johnson chose to write each story with a different literary technique. He uses first person narratives, epistles, newspaper articles, and even fairy tales to structure his kaleidoscopic vision of America's troubled history.

Highlights: "Transmission," "A Soldier for the Crown," "Martha's Dilemma," "The Plague," and "The Mayor's Tale." All of the stories are great, however.