The Center for Brooklyn History will host a conversation on Tuesday, September 30, at 6:30 p.m., featuring Susana M. Morris, author of Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler. The discussion, moderated by writer Ibi Zoboi and curated by Morgan Jerkins, will examine Morris’s new cultural biography of the pioneering science fiction author.

In Positive Obsession, Morris situates Butler’s life and work within the social, political, and cultural movements that shaped her era—from Civil Rights and Black Power to women’s liberation, queer rights, and Reaganomics. The book highlights Butler’s prescient warnings about fascism, gender-based violence, and climate change while underscoring her visionary reimagining of family, community, and power.

As the first Black woman to consistently publish in science fiction, Butler created speculative works that reflected on America’s evolution—from slavery and capitalism to empire and collapse—offering both critique and possibility.

Event Details:

Tuesday, September 30 / 6:30 pm
Center for Brooklyn History

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