Hi, I'm Lava Burton and this is Lava Burton Reads.

Every episode I hand pick a different piece of short fiction and a readity.

The only thing these stories have in common is that I love them and I hope you will too.

I'm going to share a story with you today by the National Book Award and MacArthur Genius

Grant winner Charles Johnson.

It's called Guan and it's from his collection Dr. King's refrigerator and other bedtime stories,

one of my favorite titles in recent years.

A Guan is a practice hall where Chinese martial arts are studied and the protagonist at the

center of this story is a man named Ed Lewis who is the Seafood or the teacher at this

Guan, this martial arts studio on the South side of Chicago.

Dr. Johnson's own philosophical interests, upbringing and identities definitely informed

this story in a lot of ways.

He describes himself as someone who is drawn to both discipline and craft.

He personally began practicing martial arts at the age of 19.

He's black American, born in the Midwest and he's also a practicing Buddhist.

So while you're reading the story, maybe you want to consider the differences between

practice, that intense focus that's required and devotion and do the two actually have

anything in common.

So if you're ready, let's take a deep breath.

David Lewis's martial arts Guan was in a South side Chicago neighborhood so rough, he nearly

had to fight to reach the door.

Previously it had been a dry cleaners, then a small Thai restaurant and although he lice

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