The Grand Prize: And Other Stories from the 1950s

I emptied my closet to move the contents to the basement in my house and found a box of my father's stories. I had stashed them away and not read them. I began reading and thought they were pretty good. The stories are mostly about people who have disabilities or are down and out in some way that they overcome. Each of them surprises the reader at the end. I showed the stories to my friend Joel. He loved the stories. I typed them into my computer and began reading them to my memoir group. Here are some comments from group members.

Linda Kurtz

"Each story is a small, beautiful gem. Johnson shines a spotlight on ordinary men and women of the 1940's and 50's: how they acted, spoke, reflected; how they loved, treated each other

badly, or both. Riveting.

Anne Lechartier

"Raymond Johnson's no-nonsense, terse but muscular narratives deliver emotion and mystery in every story. "

Joel Thurtell

"These are intriguing stories written with great skill and providing hours of entertainment."

Kristyn Huigi