File, Digital Video

The Contemporary American Authors Lecture Series
Charles Johnson
Master Class
April 7, 2006

Digital video transferred from a DVD+R containing edited footage of Dr. Charles Johnson's masterclass session held at Marygrove College on April 7, 2006, in conjunction with his appearance in the Contemporary American Authors Lecture series.

The program begins with a title sequence set to the Beatles' "Paperback Writer." The recording of the event begins with Dr. Frank Rashid providing opening remarks before the assembled students. Next, Dr. Loretta G. Woodard provides an introduction for Dr. Charles Johnson.

Dr. Johnson begins by briefly recounting how his latest book, "Dr. King's Refrigerator: And Other Bedtime Stories," was born out of a literacy program. He then takes questions from the attendees. His responses to the questions deal with the narratives and lessons of "The Gift of the Osuo" and "Cultural Relativity" from "Dr. King's Refrigerator," what inspired him to become a writer, the inspiration for the titular story of "Dr. King's Refrigerator," Martin Luther King, Jr. as a figure in literature, how personal identity is explored in "Executive Decision," the parallels between "Executive Decision" and Herman Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener," the role of women in "Middle Passage" and "A Soldier for the Crown," applying different critical theories to texts, his inspiration for "Sweet Dreams," why he writes, dystopian fiction, the importance of writing multiple drafts, to what degree his characters are based on real people, cross cultural understanding and his study of meditation and martial arts, his op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on racism in America, the god aboard the ship in "Middle Passage," and efforts to adapt "Middle Passage" to film.

Dr. Rashid then returns to the podium to make some concluding announcements. After a pause in the recording, a student presents Dr. Johnson with a gift on behalf of the college. Dr. Johnson reveals a Marygrove College sweatshirt from the gift box, and returns to the podium as the recording fades to a credits sequence.