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This audiobook I checked out randomly from the library was a delightful and intimate “conversation” between the author and Octavia as she worked through Octavia’s papers at the Huntington Library. Highly recommend: A HANDFUL OF EARTH, A HANDFUL OF SKY: THE LIFE OF OCTAVIA E BUTLER / LYNELL GEORGE.

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I love Lynell George's work--especially A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky--I think I mentioned it at the end of this post. I read the actual book, but the audiobook version sounds delightful! I'm sure it gives it more of that "conversation" feel!

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Love, love, love this. Might copy her notes verbatim into my own notebook. Thanks so much for compiling this.

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Such a great idea!

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Maravilloso ✨

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Gracias!

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This is the notebook that touched me the most, Jillian. I feel Octavia's painful shyness and social anxiety. She was so hard on herself, so disciplined, she pushed herself to reach the best that she could! What an example! Looking from the outside she's such an admirable person. I don't think that she completely grasped this about herself, not beyond her fiction in any case. Thank you for this article!

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Yes--that painful shyness is so evident! She's been such an inspiration to me, so I'm very happy to be able to share more of her!

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She’s a force. I feel like life brought her to her knees and even though she stood up and came out victorious, her feelings of loneliness and alienation were a lifelong companion. My heart tears up for her.

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Heartbreaking yet inspiring! Thank you so much for researching this, just fascinating!

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My pleasure! I loved doing this research.

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Thanks for sharing this wonderful woman's journey and her wonderful notes.

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My pleasure!

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One of my favorite writers, in any genre! She was so prescient in her writing, especially with Parable duology.

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The Parables are so powerful! It's shocking to me that she wrote them so long ago.

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I have never read Octavia Butler's work but this post has inspired me to do so. I also adore the idea of writing contracts to fulfil one's creative goals - I am starting that this week! Thank you so much for sharing this post, I found it fascinating. I love reading about other writers and how they process their work/notebooks.

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What a treat to see! Thank you Xo

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I just finished my first OEB book, The Parable of the Sower. I soaked up everything in this fascinating post. Thank you!

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I am so motivated! As a visual artist, I relate deeply to OB’s ideas & I am in awe of her bravery! Writing it all down & willing it into life. I will write a contract with myself.

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Yay! I'm so happy to be able to share all the OEB inspiration!

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Beautiful + Inspiring. Thank you for such a thoughtful and thorough post. Thank you for this work. It is needed. It is loved. 🩷🙏🏿

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That means so much to me, Sally! 💛

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The first sci-fi author that drew me in to a truly alien world. I was pretty young at the time and didn’t know the first thing about genetics, but the Ooloi were fascinating to me.

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I absolutely needed this, thank you so much for sharing! I’m working on a project right now about Octavia’s high school and the more I learn about her and her process the more it’s informing my work. She is such a force.

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What a cool project! I imagine our high schools must have such an impact on all of us--setting us on a path either through conformity or rebellion.

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Octavia Butler is one of my favorite writers and probably the best science fiction writer. I am sad to learn she died so early in her life and didn't get to know the great success and joy her writing has brought to so many.

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Her sudden death is quite sad, but at least she knew she was successful and had many fans. Alas, her success continued to grow after her death (as it so often does).

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This was an incredible read. Often find myself writing and rewriting goals and encouragement to myself and often wonder if I’m strange or exhausting for it. This helped. 🩷

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If my research is any indication, you're definitely not strange!

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