A Legend in Sci-Fi: Octavia E. Butler

Below is a message sent by a co-worker about one of my most favorite and cherished authors. She was quite an amazing woman, and I am grateful that I had an opportunity to simply be in her presence at a book signing she gave last October with the release of her book, Fledgling.

Ms. Butler was a writer far beyond our time with incredible foresight and imagination into what could possibly be. In a word, brilliant would best describe her and her work. If you've never delved into the world of science fiction, I would strongly suggest checking out her novels, short stories and essays. She definitely put people of color on the map in this genre, and I'm more enriched from having the experience.

*****************************************************************

It is with enormous sadness and regret that I inform you of the passing of author Octavia E. Butler.

Butler was a cherished fixture since the late 1980’s. She’s authored 14 books including Dawn, Wild Seed, Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents, as well as the forthcoming Fledgling, which was a critical success when released in October 2005 by her small hardcover press. She was a towering figure in life and in her art and the world noticed: She received numerous awards including both the Hugo and Nebula awards, a MacArthur “genius” grant, the Langston Hughes Medal, as well as a PEN Lifetime Achievement award.

The AP wire obit which ran in the NY Times online is available through this link:

Our thoughts are with her family and friends. Octavia will be sorely missed, but her powerful words and fiction will live on.

*****************************************************************

Octavia Butler (b. 1947 - 2006)

Octavia Estelle Butler is the first African-American woman to gain popularity and critical acclaim as a major science fiction writer. She was born on June 22, 1947 in Pasadena, California, to Laurice and Octavia M. (Guy) Butler. Butler was the only child of five pregnancies that her mother was able to carry to term. Her father, a shoeshine man, died when Butler was very young. Most of her memories are actually stories that she heard from her mother and grandmother. Her mother and she lived in a very racially mixed neighborhood. The unifying factor was the struggle to make ends meet. Butler "never personally experienced the more rigid forms of a segregated society" Butler was very shy in school, and describes herself as a daydreamer. These factors made it very difficult to succeed in school. She overcame dyslexia, and began writing when [she] was 10 years old...to escape loneliness and boredom.. At age twelve she became interested in science fiction.

Butler's patternists series, published between 1976 and 1984, tells of a society that is run by a specially-bred group of telepaths. This is an elite group who are mentally linked to one another in a hierarchical pattern. These telepaths are trying to create a superhuman race. This series includes the books: Patternmaster, Mind of My Mind, Survivor, Wild Seed, and Clay's Ark. Patternmaster deals with the struggle between brawn and brain. It also comments on class structure and the role of women. Wild Seed incorporates a great deal of the Black experience, including slavery. Dawn, Adulthood Rites, and Imago are the three novels that make up the Xenogenesis trilogy. These stories are about the near destruction of humankind through nuclear war and gene-swapping by extraterrestrials. The extraterrestials observe the humans as being hierarchical, which cause them to be prejudiced, and to have class divisions and conflict. These characteristics make it inevitable that mankind will eventually destroy itself without the aliens' help.

Won't You Be Mine?

The History of Valentine's Day

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day -- and its patron saint -- is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

The legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

HAPPY VALETINE'S DAY!!

I know this is aaaaaaallllll AFTER the fact, since the Super Bowl has been over for a little while, but I thought this was cute...
****************************************


Football FINALLY Makes Sense

A guy took his blonde girlfriend to her first football game. They had great seats right behind their team's bench. After the game, he asked her how she liked the experience.

"Oh, I really liked it," she replied, "especially the tight pants and all the big muscles, but I just couldn't understand why they were killing each other over 25 cents."

Dumbfounded, her date asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well, they flipped a coin, one team got it and then for the rest of the game, all they kept screaming was: 'Get the quarterback! Get the quarterback!'

I'm like...Helloooooo? It's only 25 cents!!!!

Such a chilly, rainy day today. Usually, I would forego heading out to stay inside and watch movies all day, but after having to scrap a major errand, I decided to take advantage of the time to update my checkbook, make a "to buy" list, and head out into the elements to track down a pair of winter boots to keep my toesies nice and toasty.

As part of my "get organized" initiative, I purchased a desk online and I have had the worse time trying to get it delivered. I took Wed off to wait for it, but it never came. The guy at the UPS center claims that the driver came by at 7pm that night. Funny, cuz I was home and the buzzer never rang, and I let homeboy know this. We go back and forth trying to come to some sort of arrangement, that, of course, does not pan out. I’m saying. I told him to have the driver come by after 7pm on Friday, but how about the driver comes by at 2:30pm when I am of course, not home. Nice...

I’ve been waiting for this desk since I ordered it at the end of January. And waiting is not easy for me, and wanting to grow is part of why I wear a bracelet with the letters P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E on it. Patience. It’s part of my mantra for this year, and beyond. I’m a very impatient person who needs a constant reminder that sometimes one has to wait for things to fall into place, to materialize, to run its course. Instant gratification makes it difficult to be patient, and I’m trying to overcome that impulse. When I want something done, I want it done asap. As a result, I’ve had so many projects in my head (and on paper, too, most times) that I wanted to get under way, but never started b/c I wasn’t patient enough to see the beginning steps through to completion.

The book I’ve been reading has made a HUGE difference in how I will approach a project I want to complete, and it’s helped me to recognize some internal barriers that have gotten in the way of my progress. Slowly, I’m working on overcoming these barriers.

I realized today that I need to let go of my angst about getting this desk, and quickly. As crazy as it has been making me these last few days, I really need to use this time to get prepared. Even though I’ve chosen my work area, I have yet to clear it out and get it ready to set everything up. It can be pretty frustrating when the plans you make take unexpected, unwanted turns. I’m trying to learn to be flexible and take these detours in stride.