OctaviaButler.net A fan blog for Octavia E. Butler, writer.

Conversations with Octavia Butler (Literary Conversations Series)

Conseula Francis (Editor),
2010, University Press of Mississippi
288 pages, 6 x 9 inches
978-1-60473-276-4 Paperback $22.00

Review from Expanded Horizons, Issue 26.

Although much has been written about the legendary writer Octavia Butler (1947-2006), there have been no nonfiction compilations of media about this trailblazing Black woman science-fiction writer — until now. In Conversations with Octavia Butler, Conseula Francis, an associate professor of English and director of African American studies at the College of Charleston, has compiled a varied set of twenty-three interviews. Because I collect Butler-related writings and other media, I didn’t expect to find much new information in this compilation. Indeed, a few of the interviews were quite familiar to me because I have worked to publicize them. Yet, this book took me by surprise. Two days after opening the paperback edition, I was startled to find that I had read Conversations virtually cover-to-cover.

Here is a clip from "Brave New Worlds: The Science Fiction Phenomenon", a 1993 TV documentary. The clip starts off with Robert Silverberg, then Karen Joy Fowler and Octavia Butler talk about why more women writers began writing science fiction in the 1970s. The link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW9hVkrO9OU .

This video (and audio) interview was conducted by Juan Gonzalez and Amy Goodman on Nov. 11, 2005. During the 11-minute interview, Octavia talks about Fledgling and, more generally, about politics. I especially liked hearing her read from Parable of the Talents. Click here: Democracy Now! Interview

The Charlie Rose episode with Octavia Butler's interview is available online! The video of the entire episode is here on a fanpop Octavia Butler site. Octavia is the last interview of the episode. Thanks Cressida!

Here is a brief video clip from Space, a Canadian sci-fi channel. The 1-minute clip of the interview: http://www.spacecast.com/videoplayer_1606.aspx The originating page is: http://www.spacecast.com/spaceblog_1726.aspxIf the picture is cut off, try resizing your browser window. 

A reprint of an interview conducted for a now-defunct journal, called Sojourner.
Possible Futures and the Reading of History
"I thought about doing a memoir, and I tried doing it, and it felt too much like stripping in public so I gave up. Either it would have to be dreadfully dull, or it would have been giving away things that don't altogether belong to me. My novels are the best of me. My novels and short stories are the best I have to offer..."

"Butler appeared on Science Friday in June of 2004, speaking in a panel discussion at the opening of the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle." Check out this 33-minute discussion, available here: Octavia Butler, 1947-2006 .

I'm always on the lookout for video interviews so I was thrilled to find the website for Closer to Truth: Science, Meaning and the Future, a PBS show with discussions among scientists, scholars and artists. Here are the links: