When she was still a struggling writer, Octavia Butler vowed that she would become successful, no matter what it took. Her handwritten affirmation about her own future success is amazing to read, now that it’s come true.
The Huntington Library was given a collection of Octavia Butler’s papers after her death, and they’ve catalogued 8000 different items. Including notes for more than a dozen novels, many short stories, essays, letters and other things. Since May 2014, the archive has been accessed nearly 1,300 times.
One of the amazing items among Butler’s papers is this handwritten note in which she vows to become successful—and help other writers of color—no matter what it takes:
Butler’s legacy is about to get even more attention, because the Huntington is collaborating with Clockshop to create a year-long program called Radio Imagination. Writers and artists will do research in the Octavia Butler collection and then will create brand new works. Check out a calendar of events here, and if you’re in L.A., you should definitely make time for these.
http://www.amazon.com/Kindred-Octavi...
Another amazing page from the Octavia Butler collection was just released—this hand-annotated draft page of the book that became Kindred:
Learn more about the Octavia Butler collection here. [via Huffington Post]
Top image: Mind of My Mind cover by John Jude Palencar, via NYPL
Charlie Jane Anders is the author of All The Birds in the Sky, which is available now. Here’s what people have been saying about it. Follow her on Twitter, and email her.