Radio Imagination celebrates the life and work of Pasadena science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler (1947–2006). Organized by Clockshop, the program centers on ten contemporary art and literary commissions that explore Butler’s archive at the Huntington Library. New work will premiere alongside performances, film screenings, and literary events throughout the year.
Recognition of Butler’s influence across artistic disciplines and her contribution to the Los Angeles cultural landscape is long overdue. Radio Imagination will bridge Butler’s groundbreaking fiction with contemporary conversations about the future of Los Angeles. The series will span 2016, the tenth anniversary of the writer’s death.
Radio Imagination artists and writers will conduct first-hand research in Butler’s archive at the Huntington Library and create new work based on their research. New poetry and creative nonfiction by Tisa Bryant, Lynell George, Robin Coste Lewis, and Fred Moten will premiere at a public reading event. New contemporary artworks by Laylah Ali, Courtesy the Artists (Malik Gaines and Alexandro Segade), Mendi + Keith Obadike, Connie Samaras, and Cauleen Smith will be presented at an exhibition at Armory Center for the Arts (October 1, 2016–January 7, 2017).
It all begins
Sat, Feb 27, 2016, 8–11 pm
Clockshop
2806 Clearwater St
Los Angeles, CA 90039
The evening will open with a call-and-response Earthseed ritual by the Octavia E. Butler Legacy Network, inspired by the religion Butler created in Parable of the Sower. Brief tributes to Butler will be presented by writers Tisa Bryant, Ashon Crawley, Robin Coste Lewis, Rasheeda Phillips, and Yolo Akili Robinson, followed by music, food, and drinks.
Los Angeles Literature 