The literary life of Octavia E. Butler
(Cheung Ching-Ming)
In one of the most turbulent years in recent memory, readers are turning to the prophetic books of science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler.
(Grand Central Publishing)
Her 1993 ‘Parable of the Sower’ envisioned a Los Angeles roiled by climate change and inequality in the 2020s. The novel landed on both the Los Angeles Times and New York Times bestseller lists this fall.
(Angel City Press)
Lynell George’s new book, ‘A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky: The World of Octavia E. Butler’, chronicles Butler’s writing life in Southern California. It’s a current selection of the L.A. Times Book Club.
(Lynell George/Angel City Press)
Born in 1947, Butler grew up in Northwest Pasadena. This is one of the homes where she lived.
(City of Pasadena)
Growing up, Butler found a haven in public libraries. She loved the Peter Pan room in the Pasadena Library, which she called her second home. Pasadena librarians recall her as a frequent visitor in branches around the city.
(LA Times Today)
Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena was another favorite stop. She was a frequent customer and, after she published books, a frequent presenter as well.
From the Octavia E. Butler Papers, the Huntington Library. Estate of Octavia E. Butler
Butler traveled everywhere by bus. “I used to write on buses. Los Angeles is so spread out that almost any bus ride will be a long one. The time proved perfect for writing,” Butler wrote, according to ‘A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky.’
From the Octavia E. Butler Papers, the Huntington Library. Estate of Octavia E. Butler
Butler also was a regular patron of the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles.
(Jay L. Clendenin)
From the Octavia E. Butler Papers, the Huntington Library. Estate of Octavia E. Butler
Butler held many jobs throughout her life, and got up at 2 a.m. to find time to write every day. She especially liked writing at the library. She diligently recorded her ideas in the small notebooks she carried everywhere.
From the Octavia E. Butler Papers, the Huntington Library. Estate of Octavia E. Butler
Butler was a voracious reader too, checking out any title that remotely piqued her interest. “I taste books, taste knowledge and for that matter, taste life experiences as some people taste wine or food,” she wrote.
(Grand Central Publishing)
Butler’s connection to the Central Library runs deep. She wrote her first novel, ‘Patternmaster,’ there.
(Los Angeles Public Library / Estate of Octavia E. Butler)
Butler also volunteered as a tutor at the Central Library. When asked her reason for applying, she wrote, “I want to help.”
(Jack Gaunt)
(Los Angeles Public Library / Estate of Octavia E. Butler)
Butler described April 29, 1986 – when flames ripped through the Central Library – as one of her hardest days. She was riding the bus to the library when she heard about the fire. “[The bus driver] could have announced the death of one of my friends and not hit me as hard,” she recalled. “This was the death of so many friends...” Afterward, Butler was deeply involved in the library’s restoration.
(Los Angeles Public Library / Estate of Octavia E. Butler)
Butler died in 2006. She was 58. In Los Angeles, her love of libraries lives on. The Octavia Lab at the Central Library was named after her in 2019. The library at her junior high in Pasadena, now called Washington STEAM Multilingual Academy, also bears her name.
(Tim Street-Porter)
The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in San Marino is the home of Octavia E. Butler’s literary archive.
(Estate of Octavia E. Butler.)
From childhood, Butler was determined to make a career as a writer. She was the first science fiction author to win a MacArthur Foundation Award.
(Lynell George/Angel City Press)
Butler is buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena.
