Octavia E. Butler, a pioneering science fiction novelist, viewed writing as more than just a profession; it was a crucial form of survival, resistance, and reflection. In her compelling work, Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler, author and college professor Susana M. Morris unveils the quiet yet radical narrative of Butler's life. This enlightening biography reveals how the worlds Butler imagined were often influenced by the very society that marginalized her.
Born in 1947 and raised under the oppressive regime of Jim Crow, Butler's journey from a shy Black girl to a literary icon was anything but straightforward. Despite societal pressures that discouraged her dreams in favor of securing a "real" job, Butler persevered. She faced financial anxiety and societal resistance while juggling various temp jobs. Yet, amidst these challenges, she crafted genre-defining literature that continues to resonate today, with adaptations for both TV and film emerging in recent years.
Positive Obsession, named after Butler's 1989 essay, draws from her personal archives, including journals, interviews, and letters. This meticulous exploration highlights the driving forces that shaped Butler’s life and career. For most of her writing journey, Butler would rise before dawn, dedicating hours to her craft before heading off to what she referred to as “lots of horrible little jobs.” From working in factories and warehouses to washing dishes and making telemarketing calls, Butler found inspiration in her everyday encounters.
In an interview with NBC, Morris expressed her hope that sharing Butler's story, nearly two decades after her death in 2006, would inspire artists who feel burdened by financial constraints. “In this economic system that we’re currently in, we are so crunched down trying to buy eggs or pay the rent,” Morris remarked. “Sometimes we don’t even feel like we can access art for art’s sake. But through all the trials and tribulations, she was accessing it.”
Butler's journals reveal her writing as a powerful tool for pushing back against racism, patriarchy, and societal norms that often overlooked her as a creative individual and public intellectual. Morris notes that Butler wrote because she “had to,” using pen and paper to make sense of her world and to voice her resistance. Beyond her novels, Butler cultivated a direct and evocative relationship with her readers, challenging them to think critically about societal dynamics.
Butler's stories have grown increasingly relevant over time. Her novel Kindred was reimagined into a TV series in 2022, while authors John Jennings and Damian Duffy won a Hugo Award in 2021 for their graphic novel adaptation of her work, Parable of the Sower. The trending hashtag OctaviaKnew on social media exemplifies how Butler’s insights resonate with contemporary issues such as climate change, inequality, and political unrest.
In her novel Parable of the Talents, published in 1998 and set in the 2020s, Butler introduces a conservative presidential candidate advocating a campaign to “make America great again.” This chilling parallel resonated deeply in Morris’ classroom during Trump's presidency, leading many readers to perceive Butler's work as prophetic. “Psychic? Maybe not,” Morris states. “Prescient? Absolutely.”
Morris leverages Butler’s 1987 short story, The Evening and the Morning and the Night, to discuss the marginalization of individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, Butler’s 1984 story, Bloodchild, challenges conventional ideas of gender, reproduction, and family dynamics. “We’re living in a moment that demonizes transness,” Morris observed. “But in Bloodchild, men carry the babies, complicating our understanding of what bodies are supposed to do.”
Although often categorized as science fiction, Morris argues that Butler’s work transcends this label, classifying it instead as speculative fiction. Her immersive portrayal in Positive Obsession sometimes feels like reading Butler’s own journal entries or listening to her innermost thoughts. “She lived a life of the mind,” Morris explains, highlighting how Butler's disciplined imagination fostered her beautiful obsession with writing.
Morris hopes that in a world often devoid of beauty, others will find inspiration in Butler’s legacy. “I hope that other folks can see her example and find the beauty in their own kind of practice,” she concludes. Through Butler's resilient spirit and dedication to her craft, aspiring artists are encouraged to embrace their creativity, regardless of the obstacles they face.
