ABOUT THE PODCAST
Diving deeply into the literary works of Octavia E. Butler
Beginning with The Parable of the Sower, our hosts Toshi Reagon and adrienne maree brown are examining each of Octavia E Butler’s published works, chapter by chapter. Our podcast summarizes the storyline, places it in a strategic context for those intending to change the world, and provides questions to help bring Butler's ideas to life.
Photograph by Alice ArnoldABOUT OCTAVIA E. BUTLER
Octavia E. Butler was a Black science fiction writer who won the Hugo, the Nebula, and the MacArthur genius award in her lifetime. Posthumously, her work has landed on the NY Times bestseller list. She wrote twelve novels, mostly imagined in trilogies, and a collection of short stories. Hailing from Pasadena, CA, Butler spent her later years outside Seattle, WA. Her work gives us incredible young Black protagonists who are shaping the world around them, contending for new futures for the species.
READ OCTAVIA
While we do our best to examine Octavia's work, we encourage all of our listeners to purchase her work directly and dive into yourself! This link is preferred by the Octavia E Butler estate!
THE TEAM
adrienne maree brown
CO-Host
adrienne maree brown is the writer-in-residence at the Emergent Strategy Ideation Institute, and author of We Will Not Cancel Us and Other Dreams of Transformative Justice, Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good, Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds and the co-editor of Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction from Social Justice Movements and How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office. She is the cohost of the How to Survive the End of the World, Emergent Strategy and Octavia’s Parables podcasts. adrienne is rooted in Detroit.
Toshi Reagon
CO-Host
Toshi Reagon is a one-woman celebration of all that’s dynamic, progressive and uplifting in American music. Since first taking to the stage at age 17, this versatile singer-songwriter-guitarist has moved audiences of all kinds with her big-hearted, hold-nothing-back approach to rock, blues, R&B, country, folk, spirituals and funk. She co-created The Parable of the Sower Opera with her mother, Bernice Johnson Reagon, and has toured it around the world.
Production Team
Kat Aaron
Producer
In her day job, Kat makes podcasts at Pineapple Street Studios. She’s worked at WNYC, the Center for Public Integrity, the Investigative Reporting Workshop, and was the long-time co-director of People’s Production House. In her non-existent spare time, she loves to make food and clothing.
Jess Pinkham
transcription
Currently very merrily employed as adrienne maree brown’s assistant! Has a long history of transcribing—ultimate thanks may be due to Mavis Beacon—with clients including Maxine Gordon, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Archive, the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
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