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The Village Voice has a new tribute article on science fiction pioneer Octavia Butler, who died on February 25 at the age of 58. A recent interview with Butler is now available via podcast from Dragon Page.
From the L.A. Times: Memorial Service for Octavia Butler Set for Saturday
March, 10 2006
A memorial service for science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church, 1180 Lincoln Ave., Pasadena.
Hey, like the feminists say, the personal is the political! :-) Seriously, though, all my favorite scholarly blogs occasionally digress, and IMO it's a virtue.
William Marina -
3/8/2006
I believe in some diversity at the Blog, but when half of the recent links listed at the top left of the Blog are Meme/Taggers, I think that a bit much. Sure, I can skip them, but what does say about the serious intellectual content of the Blog? The Meme/Taggers
should use email for that kind of touchy-feely.
Amy H. Sturgis -
3/8/2006
I'll confess I find this whole affair ironic, since I have used at least five of the texts I mentioned in my meme reply - two films, two television series, and one music album - to lecture about classical liberal thought at various institutions in the U.S. and Canada.
At any rate, as this is only my second day as an invited participant in this blog, I'll just sign off of this thread, being, as it is, unrelated to the late, great Octavia Butler, and rather contrary to the spirit of her work. I wish no ill will with anyone, and I invite anyone interested in more information about me to visit my website, where many of my publications are readily available.
Aeon J. Skoble -
3/8/2006
Although the main topic of L&P is L and P, I don't recall being told when I joined that I was therefore forbidden to post on cultural matters, or for that matter anything, and I'd wager that neither was Amy. You're at liberty to skip posts the titles of which don't interest you, but the criticism is out of line.
William Marina -
3/8/2006
Dear Amy,
I would be very interested in learning more about your worldview, but without having to wade thru a great deal of extraneous materials and then have to relate your choices in music to same.
The topic in the blog is L&P, certainly broad and of importance today.
Aeon is perhaps right, I probably am not a nice person, and as I get older, and Zeit flies, I want to get at the heart of the matter, or worldview, quickly, rather than dance around it Meme style.
I mentioned this with regard to your Meme/Tag, but obviously would apply it to the whole lot, not just picking on you.
Please email me any materials which help with understanding your WV, and I'll read them and reply.
Regards,
Bill Marina
Aeon J. Skoble -
3/8/2006
Be nice!
Amy H. Sturgis -
3/8/2006
I was a bit curious, I'll admit, about how my reply to Mark Brady related to Octavia Butler's remarkable body of work. Thanks for the clarification.
Amy H. Sturgis -
3/8/2006
And here I was, thinking it was a clever "meet the bloggers" strategy. I don't know about one's choice of deoderants, but surely one's choice of music, for example, is a window into one's worldview, a bit like taking a peek at one's bookshelf, though perhaps with more soul and more savvy.
William Marina -
3/8/2006
Sorry, meant to place my comment in your previous post.
William Marina -
3/8/2006
Oh, the poor darlings are all so put upon, just having to tell us about all of their personal little favorites.
Why not add your four favorite deoderants?
Spengler and Sorokin were right, ages of decline are characterized by "sensuousness," where narcissism triumphs.
