In Parable of the sower, A fire-ravaged California endures a future of climate change that is now a reality. In the 1993 speculative fiction classic, American science fiction author Octavia E. Butler, who lived in nearby Altadena, predicted the catastrophic Los Angeles fires.
The Afrofuturist’s grave rests in Altadena, which was hard hit amid recent fires that left thousands of Californians homeless. But his burial place survived: the AP shared an image of the site and reported that it received “minimal damage,” citing a statement on the Altadena Mountain View Cemetery website. Butler died in 2006 and his tombstone reads “Everything you touch, you change. Everything you change, changes you”, a quote from parable of the sower.
Altadena, which CBS News Described as “a historically black community,” it is now working to rebuild itself. Octavia’s bookshelfA Pasadena bookstore named after the inspiring author, is a hub of activities that works tirelessly to support Butler’s beloved Los Angeles enclave. For more information on how to help with relief efforts, visit here.
Watch the interview below with Nikki High, owner of Octavia’s Bookshelf, about the work they are doing and the importance of Altadena as a great American city that should be preserved and not bought by real estate capitalists.
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