The Power of Story

On Truth, the Trickster, and New Fictions for a New Era

By: Harold R. Johnson, Tracey Lindberg - foreword

Narrated by: Craig Lauzon

Award-winning Indigenous author Harold R. Johnson discusses the promise and potential of storytelling.

Approached by an ecumenical society representing many faiths, from Judeo-Christians to fellow members of First Nations, Harold R. Johnson agreed to host a group who wanted to hear him speak about the power of storytelling. This book is the outcome of that gathering. In The Power of Story, Johnson explains the role of storytelling in every aspect of human life, from personal identity to history and the social contracts that structure our societies, and illustrates how we can direct its potential to re-create and reform not only our own lives, but the life we share. Companionable, clear-eyed, and, above all, optimistic, Johnson’s message is both a dire warning and a direct invitation to each of us to imagine and create, together, the world we want to live in.

©2022 Harold R. Johnson and Tracey Lindberg (P)2023 Biblioasis

Critic reviews

“Johnson’s idea is a powerful one: that a person is not only the 'author' but also the 'editor' of his or her life, that reframing a narrative is enough to change it.” —Literary Review of Canada

“By examining Indigenous stories, ways of living, dying, and—yes—laughing, Johnson ... offer[s] powerful alternatives to hierarchical structures of society that insist on consuming the Earth’s natural resources at an unsustainable pace.” —Steven Beattie, That Shakespearean Rag

“[The Power of Story] is quite the legacy to leave behind ... Clear and telling, this final work by Johnson is educational, cohesive and a very intriguing read.” —The Link