Dr. King's Refrigerator: And Other Bedtime Stories

by Charles R. Johnson

Charles Johnson's innovative and richly imagined collection is full of stories -- sly, witty, and insightful -- that bring the world into focus. Each is a vivid cultural and philosophical portrait that deftly explores issues of identity and race. "Kwoon" follows the spiritual journey of a martial arts teacher on Chicago's South Side. "Sweet Dreams" is a Kafkaesque tale set in a world where dreams are taxed and a man and his dreamlife are being audited. "The Gift of the Osuo" is a fable about the dangers of getting what you wish for. In "Cultural Relativity," a young woman falls in love with the son of the president of an African nation but is forbidden to ever kiss him. The title story is an illuminating and deeply human tale about pre-Montgomery Martin Luther King Jr. and a revelation he had when he looked into his refrigerator late one night.
Provocative, engaging, and compassionate, Dr. King's Refrigerator is a superb and important collection from a major American voice.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Audiobook, African American, Contemporary, Philosophy, American

144 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2005

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

[Hannah Mosley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, moving and sentimental. A great, soothing read to wind down for bed :)

[Matthew McElroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

And I am already restarting it. Charles Johnson is brilliant. The book claims to be 144 pages, but it is small, and the margins are generous. If you take a train to work, you could finish it in one day.
Each story is a fable, or at least has elements of a fable- some for society, some for the individual. I could easily envision these stories turned into brightly colored paper books, with vibrant illustations.
illustrations.

Sweet Dreams ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The most mundane of bureaucrats taxes the most creative thing we do.

Cultural Relativity ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If the perfect person can't give you the one thing you want the most, is your relationship perfect?

Dr. King's Refrigerator ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The most important humanitarian in American history questions everything, then makes the right decision.

Cultural and Dr. King are placed together perfectly.

The Gift of the Osuo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sometimes the best leader is the one who simply let's people exist. An interesting lesson for these days. The story was written before 2005.

Or is the story about a tax on Dreams?

Executive Decision⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- how do you make the right decision when there is no wrong decision? We should probably ban this story about DEI.

Better than Counting Sheep ⭐️⭐️⭐️- it's fine. What would you do if time stopped being a consideration? What is the impact of modern bureaucracy on people who are truly brilliant?
(The Clay Mathematics Institute and the Poincare Conjecture are both real.)

The Queen and the Philosopher ⭐️⭐️ The only story I wouldn't recommend on its own. Somewhat ironic, because it is the only story explicitly about a philosopher. But also about the role of power and government on creativity and thought.

Kwoon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Maybe it is because this story was introduced to me by LeVar Burton, but this is a highlight (but not THE highlight). What are appropriate responses to power? How do good people respond to violence? How should people with power respond to people they can destroy?

These are fables for the modern era. Enjoy.

[David Blaylock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Semi ambiguous endings are not my favorite.

[Aaron · Rating 2 out of 5]

This guy sure likes Seattle.

[Roger DeBlanck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing less than finely-crafted prose would be expected from the talented Charles Johnson. The adeptly-constructed stories in this volume are full of philosophical and epistemological passages that bring wonder and curiosity to the storytelling. As a scholar of sage ideas and wisdom, Johnson has done his research and infuses the complexity of those ideas into very real characters and events. He has the unique knowledge of a philosopher with a child’s whimsical love for storytelling and imagination. He amalgamates fantasy with reality by bringing into his stories the very ideas that guide philosophy. Two of the stories stand out from the rest. “Better Than Counting Sheep” tells of a erudite professor who is experiencing insomnia until he attends a departmental meeting where the unbearable arguing and nonsense of his colleagues allows his sleeplessness to be cured. “The Queen and the Philosopher” recounts Descartes's travels to Sweden upon request from the Queen. She demands he teach her his secrets, but the great philosopher succumbs to both her cruelty and the coldness of Scandinavia. With Descartes's body and mind broken by the devious Queen, the great philosopher finds himself perishing. All the stories in Dr. King’s Refrigerator are interesting, and they all offer beautifully crafted prose to enhance the narratives.

[Bookmarks Magazine]

Critics have decidedly mixed reviews for Johnson's third short story collection. Johnson, who teaches at the University of Washington and was awarded a MacArthur "genius" grant, wrote most of these stories for the Washington Commission for the Humanities. The majority read like fiction exercises; most critics praise them only as simple "bedtime stories" with little underlying depth. The few challenging entries-most notably "Kwoon" and "The Gift of the Osuo"-are much more successful (and have been previously anthologized). Unlike the clever set-ups and quick pay-offs of the shortest stories here, these two tales demonstrate the author's considerable-if sometimes hidden-talent.

This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only listened to Kwoon in this short story collection through LeVar Burton Reads. Set in Chicago, a young man named David opens a martial art studio to not only teach fighting skills but to teach others self-control and accountability. Ed, an older new student joins and challenges David to a fight in front of other students, but fights dirty and beats David up. Although we are given Ed's perspective of why he choose to do this, this puts David's livelihood in jeopardy as he was shamed in front of everyone. But David perseveres in the end, not through physical fighting, but through his attitude and values. I was really rooting for the aptly named David, in what turned out to be a David and Goliath tale.

[Eva Therese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the LeVar Burton reads, this is a short story about martial arts and the deeper meaning of doing it. The story is told from the view of two men who gets off on the wrong foot because they both have prejudices about each other, but who manages to find some kind of common ground towards the end.
I was really impressed with the way the story evolved halfway through and the fact that I don't know anything about fighting didn't stop me from enjoying it.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

An uneven collection of short stories by Johnson, the author of Middle Passage and Dreamer. Probably for fans and completists only; only one of the stories (Kwoon) was fully realized. I would recommend starting elsewhere if you want to read Johnson.

[Cary Kostka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This proved to be a fascinating collection of stories that i quickly ripped through. The writing is descriptive yet short, and many of the plots in here could easily be expanded into stand-alone novellas.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

LeVar Burton read "Kwoon" on his podcast. Great story! I enjoyed reading it again and hearing Burton's voice in my head. That was the best story I think, and the one about the magic charcoal.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Dr. King's Refrigerator: And Other Bedtime Stories" is the first book I've read after returning to Michigan from Wisconsin (don't ask). The quality of the stories varies, from the forgettable "Sweet Dreams," to the bizarre (and not in a good way) "Cultural Relativity," to the bizarre in a slightly-better-but-ultimately-unsatisfying-way "The Gift of the Osuo" and the fairly-enjoyable "Dr. King's Refrigerator" and "Kwoon."

For the most part, Johnson grabbed my interest with the premises of his stories, but the endings seemed abrupt and half-assed. Personally, I would only the titular story and "Kwoon," and I'm glad he chose to end the book with the latter story, because its ending was the most satisfying. It is because of these two stories that I give this book a rating of three stars, rather than the two stars I was considering throughout.

I should mention that short stories have to try a lot harder to win my enjoyment. I prefer novels, which at least have some sort of conclusion most of the time, with loose ends tied up. With short stories, it's more like, "Well, that happened." Of course, the entire point of a short story is to be episodic, and there are definitely short stories that I have thoroughly enjoyed.

In the end, however, this book simply wasn't my cup of tea.

[J B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains a strong set of short stories. I'm not really sure why but the story "The Gift of the Osuo" deeply disturbed me. His stories are written in a simple straightforward style sometimes containing advanced vocabulary. Some of the tales told are simple while others have a lot to unpack. Most of the stories are ten pages long which I appreciate since I have attention problems but I wanted to keep on reading this due to being generally impressed with it. Incidentally the copy I have is signed and I found it at Goodwill (it was given to a specific person) and I saw Middle Passage at the same Goodwill and hopefully it is still there is that too is a signed copy.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful collection of short stories. They’re beautifully written. Some are almost fable-like, others, like “Executive Decision,” encompass thoughtful ideas about race and equity, tied to real world issues. The title story brings both a level of humanity to Martin Luther King, here a new preacher still working on his dissertation, and a sense of how his vision of the world was so much more expansive than most people’s. Just looking in a full refrigerator makes him think of the interconnectedness of the world and how important it is to be that aware.

[RA · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag of short stories, some good, some yawners.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

the hell...??

[Buff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story Cultural Relativity is marvelous!

[Nita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these short stories.

[Shawn Aebi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightfully funny, especially "Counting Sheep". "Executive Decision" still holds true as a splendid petri dish to spark a conversation on affirmative action.

[Elijah Short · Rating 5 out of 5]

The short stories in this book are great for reading before bed or on the train. Johnson somehow puts substantial and strong ideas in small pieces of work. His eloquence is profound. His style reminds me of many victorian books, the words are just so sweet and substantial. To illustrate his writing style is much like having desert for dinner yet still getting all the nutrients from vegetables and proteins. And if I had to recommend one story in particular, it would be the one on Queen Christina, Regnant of Sweden. The philosophical ideas in that eight or nine paged story probes one to think about our western ideologies in possibly a different light.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are 2 or 3 little pieces of perfection in here - especially the last story, "Kwoon," the title story, and the fantastic story about affirmative action, "Executive Decision." Nothing else really stays with you after you finish it. The other stories feel a bit slight, which isn't bad in and of itself, but it is a little disappointing, considering how much Johnson's writing resonates and gets in my head normally.

[Salsabrarian]

Eight short stories including "Dr. King's Refrigerator" in which Dr. King realizes many of the cultures of the world are amassed in his own refrigerator and kitchen. "Executive Decision" places the reader in the position of selecting from two qualified candidates for a job: a white woman who is forthcoming, funny and relaxed; and a black man who is serious, formal and guarded. In "Cultural Relativity" Felicia is engaged to an African man who claims his custom is not to kiss on the lips.

[Symphony Space]

Week of December 23, 2010 - December 29, 2010
Mysteries and Wonders
"Cultural Relativity" by Charles Johnson, performed by Regina King
From: Dr. King's Refrigerator and other Bedtime Stories (Scribner)

[Robert Morgan Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable, tight collection of Johnson stories. Probably the best (if not the only) affirmative action story ever written, "Executive Decision." And the story of Descartes' death, "The Queen and the Philosopher," are worth the price of the book.

[Sooz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not get the point of most of the short stories in this very thin little collection. I think the uniting theme was, possibly, righteousness, but it almost felt to me like a Young Adult material...a little simplistic and the themes not very deeply developed.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I don't remember a whole lot about this collection, other than general quirkiness. Fiction - Short Stories/African-American

[Brian Stillman · Rating 3 out of 5]

If all the tales were good as "Kwoon" it'd be a classic.

[Mrs. T · Rating 2 out of 5]

while I love the author, this collection was not interesting to me. Kwoon was a good short.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heard the title story on NPR, which led me to pick this book up. Solid collection of short narratives and modern fairy tales.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately it ended up being a book of short stories that took me too long to get through. It is nice, but that was a bit all for me.