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Octavia Butler

February 28th, 2006 at 05:21 am

I found out last night that one of my literary heroines died last night, a casuality of that stupid ice storm on Friday.

Text is http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/books/260959_butlerobit26ww.html and Link is
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/books/260959_butlerobit26ww.ht...
Text is http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/obituaries/2002831388_butlerobit27m.html and Link is
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/obituaries/2002831388_...

Some of us are frugal because we want to see our net worth increase. Some of us are frugal because we want security. Some of us are frugal because we would rather have more time than money.

And some are frugal because they know that their talent is going to service a project, goal, or idea that is going to be un-mainstream, unloved, and unpopular. They bravely go and use their frugality to soldier on and avoid selling out.

And when a frugal writer of that stature actually gets something like a genius grant, it goes to buy a little house. Not even a car. A little house near a bus line.

R.I.P. Octavia. You're one of the last brave writers who made a poor but honest living strictly on their writing. No Harvard teaching gigs, no journalism, no upper-class parties where a writer tweets for his supper. Just you and your writing and your infamous wrestle with your writer's block.

2 Responses to “Octavia Butler”

  1. mjrube94 Says:
    1141136832

    Your post reminds me of something I read about Mr. Rogers. Despite all of the success from his many years doing Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, he remained a simple individual, driving an old station wagon and living in a modest house. He never allowed his work to be commercialized and was dedicated to making good-quality, wholesome shows for kids. I never heard of Octavia Butler, but based on your entry, I'll check her out.

  2. Marilla Says:
    1141151778

    Oh, I am so sorry to hear that she died. I loved her work and found her inspiring. One of her books (Bloodchild) will always be on my shelves, and that is saying something.

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