Soul Food 105 Inspirational Stories for African Americans by Eric V. Copage is a literary collage of stories, poetry, and fables in a chicken-soupish volume that provides a wonderful, delightful, powerful hearty buffet of inspiration in bite-size morsels. “Most are no more than one thousand words because I wanted these stories to be a nutritionist meal, but not a nine-course banquet that would take days to finish” (xiii) “This collection is broken down into seven elements: Love, Self-Esteem, Family, Creativity, Tenacity, Wisdom, and Faith. These stories are heartwarming and include stories from Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, Nikki Giovanni, Barry White, Queen Latifah, Henry Louis Gossett Jr, and Oprah Winfrey to name just a few.” Every story felt like I was on a beautiful walk with my ancestors, taking in their story as only they could tell it. “He told his story casually, not with great fanfare – he gave me with his stories a watering hole for my psyche, a spiritual oasis where I could gather strength for my own forays into the world. (xii) Here is a sample of stories. In An Unmarked Man, “Michel Marriott shares how he discovered ‘an essential element of being a man’” while pledging a fraternity known to physically brand its members during initiation”. In Royalty, Part II, Queen Latifah expounds on what it means to her to be a self-proclaimed queen and tells other women how they too can have what it takes. Most importantly, she says, “You have to want to be a queen”. The Choice tells the story of a runaway slave outwitting his master after he is caught and beaten “This book may be read cover to cover like a formal meal, or you can leaf through the book and snack on what you’re in the mood for at the moment” (xv). This would be a great book just to keep around and open to any story to deliberate upon.