Oct 24: Damian Duffy and John Jennings at Arlington Library

Celebrate Octavia Butler's legacy with the duo behind two award-winning adaptations.

Join us for a conversation with authors and illustrators Damian Duffy and John Jennings on their award-winning graphic novel adaptations of Octavia Butler's "Kindred" and "Parable of the Sower"—both testaments to Butler's masterful speculative fiction storytelling and visionary Afrofuturist themes.   Arrive by 6 p.m. for a performance by the DC Bushwick Book Club inspired by "Parable of the Sower" featuring music, spoken word and a short film. The event will include a Q&A followed by a book signing, with books available for purchase from One More Page Books.

Join Us Oct. 24

John Jennings on Octavia Butler's legacy.

Excerpt from "The Joy (And Fear) Of Making 'Kindred' Into A Graphic Novel" (Code Switch/NPR).

"Octavia Butler is one of the greatest American writers to live, period. She was literally a genius. The way that she would use metaphor and allegory and how she tackled some of the most horrific things about human existence through science fiction and fantasy? She was a master storyteller."

Damian Duffy on the first-time visual adaptation of Butler.

Excerpt from '"Jennings and Duffy on their Adaptation of 'Kindred'"(Brooklyn Magazine).

"It was amazing and terrifying, an honor and a huge amount of pressure to get it right. We were very cognizant of the fact that the adaptation needed to do the novel justice, to appeal to hardcore Butler fans, but also [to attract] new readers unfamiliar with the novel.

I worried about what her estate would think, what her contemporaries would think. I think I'm still in shock that it's been so well received, just because I spent so long stressing over cutting the prose of such a famous and influential and important literary figure."

John Jennings on creating through collaboration.

Excerpt from "John Jennings and Damian Duffy Are Disturbing the Peace" (Publishers Weekly).

"I love collaborating, because you get more ideas on the board, you learn so much by sharing an experience, and you get to feed off of each other's energy, which lightens the load of creation.

Damian Duffy (left) and John Jennings (right)

You're not just some lone auteur toiling away in a studio—an [existence] that I find laughable, because eventually you have to collaborate with the audience. It's best to get out of the way of your own ego early on."