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These images are courtesy of the Huntington Library, Art Collections Botanical Gardens, which gained posession of her notebooks and papers in 2008. Each of these images are dated between 1977 and 1978. 

The first two images reveal Butler’s personal manifestos and plans to help the black community. The third image is taken from a draft of Kindred. 

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Science fiction writer Octavia Butler died 10 years ago today at the age of 58 and left her papers to The Huntington. We’re celebrating her today by sharing a variety of items from her collection throughout the day.

Pictured here are some of Butler’s handwritten notes on writing and what it means to be a writer.

Learn more about Butler and her archive at http://huntington.org/octaviabutler/, and to find out about “Radio Imagination,” an amazing yearlong Octavia Butler project that Los Angeles arts organization Clockshop (@clockshopla​) is putting on, head to http://clockshop.org/project/radio-imagination/

images: Handwritten notes by Octavia E. Butler, ca. 1980. Octavia E. Butler papers. The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.

Pages of handwritten notes from one of Octavia E. Butler’s commonplace books, undated. Octavia E. Butler papers. The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.

Page of handwritten notes on inside cover of one of Octavia E. Butler’s commonplace books, 1987. Octavia E. Butler papers. The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.

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I love going into a new year in full awareness of the previous one. It gives me a sense of focus - a better idea of what needs restructuring, way more attention, less of my energy, etc. Have you taken some time out for yourself and assessed 2017 in preparation for a stronger 2018?

Whip out a piece of paper, your notes app, a journal (whatever works best) and start by asking yourself:

- What’s the biggest life lesson you learned in 2017?

- What’s the biggest lesson you learned about yourself?

- What’s something you accomplished this year that you’re really proud of?

- What’s something you didn’t accomplish this year that you’re going to focus more energy on next year?

- What are changes you made in 2017 that made 2016 a stronger year?

- Were you kind to yourself? And to those around you?

- Overall, was 2017 good to you? And were you good to it?

“Step into the fire of self-discovery. This fire will not burn you, it will only burn what you are not.” - Mooji

Sending all of you so much love. Happy Holidays!

- Fran

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It is my considered opinion that one reason you are not writing is that you are allowing yourself to read in the time set aside to write. You ought to set aside three hours every morning in which you write or do nothing else; no reading, no talking, no cooking, no nothing, but you sit there. If you write all right and if you don’t all right, but you do not read; whether you start something different every day and finish nothing makes no difference; you sit there.  It’s the only way, I’m telling you. . . . And get in a room by yourself. If there are two rooms in that house, get in the one where nobody else is . . . .

Flannery O’Conner

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This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.

Frederick Douglas

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Revisiting the Old: Thoughts on Frankie and Alice

So, the new Halle Berry film was very interesting. It was based on a true story about a Black woman with Dissociative Identity Disorder. She dealt with the demons of her past through her own life of drugs, a racist White woman named Alice, and a child named Genius. Through facing her past she is able to lead a “normal” life consisting of marrying a psychiatrist and becoming a high school teacher.

This movie was very touching for me considering that my mother committed suicide when a week before my 3rd birthday. It sort of messed me up that she did it so close to my birthday. After further investigation of suicide, I realized how suicide is so closely related to mental health. It was after this finding at the age of 12, that I was able to let go of the thoughts that my existence was the cause of my mother deciding to take her own life.

I could go into suicide, but I’d rather delve into the subject of Black people and mental health. There seems to be a constant fear of the association “craziness” or “insanity” when it comes to pyschologists or psychiatrists. Through this idea, people are missing out being treated for disorders.

Growing up in the church, many people have proclaimed that “the devil” has tempted them to take their own life. They’ve entertained these thoughts, but God healed them. I’ve heard two (maybe) mention a psychologists, but only one of the two actually encouraged others to seek the help of a psychologist with their thoughts of suicide. I do believe in the healing powers of God. Just as a person with cancer will not neglect going to the doctor for treatment (especially if it is treatable), so should the person who has suicidal thought should invest in themselves in order to get help.

The negative stigma connected to a concern with mental health must be eliminated. After all taking an interest in your mental health shows love for self which is essential for loving anyone else.

With love,

Kiswana

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Since your words are almost invariably misinterpreted, you avoid speech in general and abstain entirely from rhetorical questions.

Robert Green (Leaving Atlanta)

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Reciprocity is the cornerstone of good manners. But fifth-grade social institutions discourage mingling freely.

Robert Green (Leaving Atlanta)