Night Hawks: Stories

by Charles R. Johnson

A masterful story collection—thirteen years in the making—from National Book Award winner Charles Johnson, showcasing the incredible range and resonant voice of this American treasure.

This new collection of stories from National Book Award winner Charles Johnson offers an eclectic, engaging range of narratives, tied together by Buddhist themes and displaying all the grace, heart, and insight for which he has long been known.

In “The Weave,” Ieesha and her boyfriend carry out a heist at the salon from which she has just been fired—coming away with thousands of dollars of merchandise in the form of hair extensions. “Night Hawks,” the titular story, draws on Johnson’s friendship with the late playwright August Wilson to construct a narrative about two writers who meet at night to talk. In “Kamadhatu,” a lonely Japanese abbot has his quiet world upended by a visit from a black American Buddhist whose presence pushes him toward the awakening he has long found elusive. “Occupying Arthur Whitfield,” about a cab driver who decides to rob the home of a wealthy passenger, reminds readers to be grateful for what they have. And “The Night Belongs to Phoenix Jones” combines the real-life story of a “superhero” in the city of Seattle with an invented narrative about an aging English professor who decides to join him.

Spanning genres from science fiction to realism, these stories convey messages of tolerance, hope, and gratitude. With precise, elegant, and moving language, Johnson creates memorable characters and real, human struggles that have the power to enlighten and change us as we read.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Short Story Collection, Race

192 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2018

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

[Kim Ibara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first experience with the stories of Charles Johnson, and I am incredibly impressed by his depth, breadth, and mastery of the English language. I am very glad I began here, as I feel that this book of short stories gives one a feeling of "getting to know" the author. From an imagined story by Plato to the awakening of a Buddhist monk to a real-life experience with the playwright August Wilson, the stories (which were previously published in different publications) touch on many different themes, including but not limited to the black experience in America.
I guarantee you will learn some new vocabulary - he is incredibly facile with the language - and will want to share the book with others in your life.

[Aaron Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normally I have trouble with short story collections but I loved this! Read it all in one sitting!!

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second of two books of short stories I picked up on my journey to the Northwest. I found the book by Thom Jones to be stunning, enviable writing. But Charles Johnson was not only exemplary writing, but stories that I loved. The introduction was a great class in short story reading and writing. The stories were ocassionally funny, always thought provoking and always - short. Great payoff in a short investment. Easily five stars. Everything I love about reading and storytelling.

[Dylan Perry · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I’m being honest, I liked two of the stories—the rest ranged from dull, to meh, to forgettable. Throw in a couple DNF’s too. I didn’t even update the last few stories, blitzing through the last three to finish. And this is disappointing because I vibe with Charles Johnson’s mentality behind art, and storytelling. The Way of the Writer is one of my favorites reads of 2019. Unfortunately that vibe did not translate to this collection. I still plan to read more by him, although I’ll probably never come back to Night Hawks. 2.5/5

[J B · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best story collections I've ever read. Damn.

[Michael Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so pleased to discover this collection of short stories from Johnson, with whom I must admit, I was not familiar.

I was looking online for information about the Edward Hopper painting of the same name for a short story project of my own...and when I saw a collection of short stories, called "Night Hawks" and with an updated version of the painting on the cover, I had to learn more.

One of the most interesting thing about the collection is that the 12 stories are quite varied - philosophical, realist, absurd, science fiction, and memoirish. I enjoyed them all very much (save one) and was surprised at how positively I responded to the bits of history, Buddhist theology, and philosophy were woven through. Midway through the second story, "Prince of Ascetics," I thought I may abandon the collection, but I'm so glad I didn't.

Favorites included "The Cynic," "The Weave," "Idols of the Cave," "4189," and upon reflection, the title piece, "Night Hawks." The story of a wild night the author had with his friend and contemporary August Wilson was charming, if a bit of a downer.

Happy to have found this, and even happier to see that my "Night Hawks" and Johnsons share nothing except for those two words."

[Chunyang Ding · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is truly a bad book, or at least, a bad collection of books. The stories go from meandering to sudden twists, where you get the feeling that Johnson is trying to shock the reader back to relevancy. From writing about a soldier who kills his superior after the superior burns lost books, to a philosophy/English major who gets turned into a scientist's dog and falls in love with said scientist, to the angry ramblings of a man who claims to be at peace, only for a neighbor's loud music to disturb him to violence until - at the very last paragraph - he finds out that the neighbor is just an army soldier who suffers from tinnitus, these are not very well fleshed out stories. While some writers use local landmarks to great effect, the frequent dropping of UW and other Seattle district landmarks just seem clumsy and out of place.

I do feel poorly for writing so critically about Johnson's work, because it does feel like the short story collection is genuine and comes from his heart. But it truly did not resonate with my heart.

[Karim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Night Hawks is a collection of stories that truly run the gamut, like the opener which profiles a struggling couple who decide to rob a hair salon. Or the Buddhist monk who’s world and temple is turned upside down by an inquisitive black author from the U.S.


The stories tackle everything from the inner psyche, pseudo-futurism and death. They also speak to everyday life like an annoyed neighbor having THE worst day in his posh Seattle community. There’s also a semi-true story on Seattle crime fighter Phoenix Jones who is either a nuisance or hero based on who you ask.

Overall these stories are entertaining enough to breeze through its 178 pages. Some are more miss than hit but it’s still done well.

[Valerie Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Night Hawks as it is the April selection of one of my favorite book clubs. We'll be discussing it next week. Night Hawks consists of a dozen short stories, to be read best in one sitting. I was not familiar with the author, so I was astonished by his amazing talent. Each story takes on a theme, topic...some hot topics to be sure. Some I could relate to, others not so much...but each one an amazing learning experience, providing pure joy. Many of the tales are set in Seattle where I lovingly lived for ten years...so I enjoyed the journey back to a place I once called home. Had it not been for my book club, I would've never found Night Hawks. That would've been a void in my life, which has now been filled.

[Charles Francis · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is my first reading of a literary work by the author. The book is a collection of short stories, each with a message and underlying point. Unfortunately, I struggled to get many of them. Perhaps it is me or the writer, or a combination of both. I suspect it is me as I am not accustomed to his writing style or the way in which he tells his stories, the intended message (s) subliminal or not.

I gave the rating I did out of fairness to the author and me. Why rate something harshly when it might be you that should be rated based on your reading comprehension? That is the question I asked, and thus the rating.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Johnson is upfront about returning to an older (obsolete?) style of formulaic short fiction for this collection, but these stories just didn't work for me. Each felt almost like a quick joke with a cheap or unearned twist at the end, and the through-lines of literature references and Buddhism sometimes felt glaringly out of place. Not every character should have the same thoughts and experiences as a elderly Buddhist college professor. Johnson essentially writes a self-insert character or moment into each story, half intended, half not. I have to say I was expecting something quite different considering the cover art and title. My favorite story was "The Night Belongs to Phoenix Jones."

[Kevin Revolinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd say 3.5 but give it a 4 to keep it's average up. The introduction and the final essay about his conversations with August Wilson are definitely worth reading. A few of the stories didn't impress me but most of them had a solid old-school focus and clear ending, something I miss in some modern storytelling. That Introduction talks about this and then he demonstrates. Worth looking at if you are learning the craft, I'd say.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A collection of short stories split into two broad camps: stories about philosophy and faith; and stories focused mostly on contemporary life, largely centered on black characters. Many of the stories work around a core theme of the way initial impressions of strangers are often incorrect. I think this is a collection to pop into now and again - not necessarily to read straight through.

[Jonathan Betz-Zall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly enjoyable short stories by a retired English professor. As a long time resident of Seattle I very much appreciated the local color added to several stories, and as a long time racial justice advocate I benefited from the clearly depicted lives of several Black characters. The author's clear-eyed Buddhism was manifestly evident in some stories and subtly expressed in others. Now I want to read more of his work and that of others that he recommended.

[Claudia Skelton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author Charles Johnson wrote some engaging stories that he called "bedtime stories" in his Introduction. Evening reading is when I gained thoughts about hope, gratitude, and silence in our lives. I did not understand all aspects of the themes, but an occasional reread of some stories will add insight.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite what I expected; from the cover, the title, and the first story I thought it was a series of urban working-class stories with a touch of modern noir, but these stories were far from this style. Not bad, mind you, just not the book I anticipated, and I slowly became less and less interested. A fine enough collection but not my style.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eclectic set of short stories, by the Seattle resident (my nearby neighbor) and National Book Award winner, encompassing a variety of genres, many with Buddhist themes. The book is somewhat uneven, but well written and thought provoking. (3.5 stars)

[David Gallianetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. A great collection of brief, but often very thoughtful, short stories. I especially loved the last one, but enjoyed most of them. An especially perfect book if you're in between reads and want something brisk and different.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were great quiet, quaint, spiritual ideas of philosophy, but then there were the rest of the stories which were...well ...eh. I read all but three stories which I just couldn't seem to finish for a bit of hum drum dullness.

[Michael Snook · Rating 2 out of 5]

not really my cup of tea. most of the stories weren’t that engaging and it felt like some of the endings were supposed to be these profound “gotcha” moments or twists and idk it just wasn’t that effective. the 4189 story was just weird.

[Chris Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a good argument to be made that reading Charles Johnson's fiction can provide more penetrating insight of Buddhist beliefs and values than most Buddhist nonfiction. Wonderful stories, as always.

[Paul Manytravels · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice collection of stories, each interesting and engaging, all told in an easy and straightforward style. Overall, the book is a quick and easy read, nice for summer reading.

[Cherise Wolas · Rating 3 out of 5]

These short stories, heavy on Buddhist tenets, never quite caught fire for me.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful stories

[Steve Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a Best of the Best for the month of October 2018, as selected by Stevo's Book Reviews on the Internet. http://forums.delphiforums.com/stevo1...

[Kefranks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good stories. Especially the one that talks about his dinners with playwright August Wilson.

[Maughn Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles R. Johnson is an intellectual, philosophical, and artistic giant.

[Robin Jansen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time with this one. I apparently don't like short stories.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of stories, many set in Seattle. Thoughtful, creative, and engaging.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a person who claims to love short stories so much, it certainly took me a long time to discover this. Shame on me.