An Arlington Reads Signature Author Event

Join us for a conversation with authors and illustrators Damian Duffy and John Jennings to talk about their graphic novel adaptations of Octavia Butler's "Kindred" and "Parable of the Sower." 

Octavia Butler (June 22, 1947 – February 24, 2006) was an American science fiction author and a multiple recipient of the Hugo and Nebula awards. In 1995, Butler became the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship. She used her experience as a Black woman in America to redefine the science fiction genre and create the earliest literary examples of Afrofuturism. Butler’s Afrofuturist lens was both a form of artistic expression and social activism. She created alternate worlds where Black people are the heroes and heroines—where their experiences are front and center. In doing so, she invited us to imagine a better future and then work towards creating it.

Damian Duffy and John Jennings' adaptation of Octavia Butler's bestselling classic, "Kindred," quickly became a bestseller in its own right. The graphic novel won both the Bram Stoker and Eisner Awards. John Jennings is a professor, author, graphic novelist, curator, Harvard Fellow, New York Times Bestseller, 2018 Eisner Winner, and all-around champion of Black culture. Damian Duffy is a cartoonist, scholar, writer, curator, lecturer, teacher, and a Glyph Comics, Eisner Comics, Bram Stoker, and Hugo Award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novelist.

Doors will open at 5:45 p.m. Please plan to arrive by 6:00 p.m. to see a performance by the DC Bushwick Book Club, presenting a new program of works inspired by Octavia Butler's "Parable of the Sower."  There will be music by Antoñio Villaronga and Boy Meets Pearl, spoken word by Gene Downing and a short film by Kerri Sheehan. 

The author conversation will be followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. Copies of the book will be available for sale, courtesy of One More Page Books

REGISTRATION RECOMMENDED. Admission is on first-come, first-served basis until event capacity is reached. The event will also be livestreamed and available as a recording for 30 days on Arlington County's Youtube channel; please register to receive the online link and an event reminder. 

This fall, Arlington Public Library’s long-running signature author talk program Arlington Reads will celebrate the Afrofuturist and fantasy works of award-winning authors and illustrators who reimagine, reinterpret and reclaim the past and present by using science-fiction, history and fantasy to explore the Black experience.

For more information, contact LibraryPrograms@arlingtonva.us

Date:
Thursday, October 24, 2024
Time:
6:30pm - 8:00pm
Location:
Barbara M. Donnellan Auditorium
Library:
Central Library
Audience:
Events for Adults
Categories:
Author Talk
Calendar:
Arlington Public Library
Registration has closed.

About Our Events

Accommodations in the Library

Arlington County provides accommodations to individuals with disabilities upon request. Please contact ​us at least five (5) business days in advance.

  • Phone: 703-228-5993
  • Email: Jberg@arlingtonva.us