The week prior to break, a break I’m on as of a few hours ago, careened slightly out of control, consequently I’m later and with less than I had hoped for. I hoped to do a women a day, in retrospect a lofty thought for the kind of week I was preparing for.
Continuing on the theme of women, as a prelude to International Women’s Day, I’m going to stick with the authors and activists, or author/activists, as the aforementioned Dorothy Parker and Zainab Salbiof fit that category.
Today it’s Octavia Butler.
Butler was an American novelist, short story writer, and essayist, as well as a subliminal activist. Though she has a huge fan base still, and there was heartfelt op-ed memorializing when she died, much too early, from a fall and head injury in 2006, the man on the street is not all that familiar with her work. Her work doesn’t often make the book club discussions list of the garden party class. That is unfortunate because not only was she a multiple award winning science fiction writer, in a world where most science fiction was written by men, she was African American author in a world where African American authors were ignored.
Photo, NikolasCo’s .
Butler once called herself “comfortable asocial” ‘a pessimist if I’m not careful, a feminist, a Black, a former Baptist, an oil-and-water combination of ambition, laziness, insecurity, certainty and drive.” She was somewhat of a hermit, did not like to lecture — if she had to be up front she preferred to answers questions and wasn’t likely to be caught on a talk show. She was also a genius, writing social commentary on feminism, racism and society while masquerading it as science fiction, yet making it genuine, brilliant science fiction and splendid social commentary.
The purpose of these posts is not to give book reviews but to introduce or reintroduce people to some women. In the case of Olivia Butler I was lucky enough to have been introduced to her in tenth grade English in a month long series we did on Women Writers. It’s a rare thing though for Octavia Butler to be introduced in a high school class not particular to science fiction or African American writers, and that my friends is a shame. So for those who did miss out, check out her work.
Exploratory Links Octavia Butler:
NPR ESSAY – UN RACISM CONFERENCEBy Octavia E. Butler Reflections on Octavia Butler
official site Octavia Butler
Octavia Butler, 1947-2006: Sci-fi writer a gifted pioneer in white, male domain
Books by Octavia E. Butler
Oh, Octavia
previously on Women’s Week
Zainab Salbi
Dorothy Parker
You may think of your writings as “less” but your “less” is still more than what many contribute.
Keep up the good work. Never heard of Zalbiof but 2 out of 3 ain’t bad. The tweener’s birfday is coming up soonly and she’s going to get a Parker book in her packet.
sauerkraut’s last blog post..Alphainventions.com
Very good choice for a gift I think.
When you don’t post, I’m happy though I miss your writing. Happy because I know you’re fully engaged in the world outside blogging
I do not know Octavia Butler but shall make up for that lack. Love her references to herself
pia’s last blog post..I’m officially a Redneck!
You won’t be disappointed.
I get plenty here, even if you post only once a week. Rumor has it you can do it in a blindfold on a trampoline. Most blogs, especially those belonging to people our age, suck in comparison.
Skimming through the links and reading some the memorials I am pissed off that I was never introduced to her work. It sounds like I have some books to buy. I like to start at the beginning, her series looks like the place to start.
casey’s last blog post..Got To Do This
Why were the comments were closed on the last one? I wanted to nominate Aayah Hirsi Ali.
Doug’s last blog post..Meerschaum
I sometimes close them when I know I am not going not going to have time to look at them for a couple of days. Nit sure it’s worth it because usually I get complaints, but it makes me feel less stressed.
I’m hesitant on Aayah Hirsi Ali, I read “Infidel” and have recommended it, but there is much controversy in the fact of the book and not only that but in the fact she is an atheist not a Muslim, and I though not having come to any conclusions as yet, I am not sure how I view her. I believe to some degree she was certainly used by the think tank she was and still may be is a fellow at. So anyway I’m holding off on this one.
A few years ago I read Kindred, my old girlfriend had a copy. I recommend it. I didn’t know of her awards in the science fiction field.
How do you decide when your comments are going to be off? The word irksome applies to the couple of time I’ve had a brilliant comment ready for a post only to find the comments off. ;)
G’s last blog post..“I Am Goodbye”
Your old girlfriend read books?
Damn G you should have told me.
All kidding aside, read her other stuff you’ll probably love it.
I read her book, “The Parable of the Sower” a while back, and was thinking of her work just the other day, as there was always a sense of hope in her worlds of future-anarchy and isolated communities. So I was surprised to learn she’d passed away. One of my favorite authors, regardless of genre.
Space Monk where have you been?
I actually read a book of hers for my english class my first year of college–Kindred. I really enjoyed it. We also read one or two of her short stories and I wrote a paper about her. I really enjoyed her work. Her science fiction ranges from the future-space stuff to time-travel to aliens. She’s pretty cool.
I have never read anything by this author, but I’m on it now.
thanks coop
Some of her stuff looks really interesting.