A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky: The World of Octavia Butler

Well written and love the layout of the book

If you want a glimpse into Octavia Butler's life, this is a good way to get started. Enjoyable and insightful.

I loved this book so much, I could not even put it on my bedside. It was on top of the covers on my bed. It took me to the places Octavia Butler went as a child and young woman in Pasadena. It took me inside of her head (as best one can get to such a place via the evidence). I learned about her writing process, but also about her self-determination. I know what it is like to have a dream and the need to conjure up the persistence required to achieve that dream. One can go hungry. One can spend a lot of time alone. Butler dared to follow her own vision and we're the beneficiaries. She wanted to write! She had a strong mother who made sure she had a typewriter! I have used Butler's Kindred in my classrooms and watched the intrigue on the faces of students from very different backgrounds. Butler's ability to take us into the past and future via words is a gift. The mementoes that the author had photographed for this book are a real treat, too. I have plenty of receipts from the days when I had to decide whether I was going to eat or not. It was affirming to see Butler on a similar journey.

Genius!!!

It takes a thirsty soul to be filled with the soul of another. Lynell George’s deep desire to touch the essence of Octavia Butler’s writing calling and creating serves as a reservoir of insight and courage to us all.