I just finished reading Octavia Butler’s Bloodchild: And Other Stories, and I was struck by the simplicity of her characters and the complexity of their worlds. Especially in Bloodchild, where she depicts a very nuanced relationship in a new world order. If you have the opportunity to get the Audible version, I highly recommend it; The narration by Janina Edwards is excellent. Among the fictional short stories is a reprint of an autobiographical article that originally appeared in Essence magazine. Butler’s title for the piece was originally Positive Obsession, but the magazine changed it to Birth of a Writer, which she never … Continue reading The Best of Octavia Butler’s “Positive Obsession” Essay