Octavia Butler on 'Throughline'

Also this week: The Aspen Words Literary Prize shortlist, critics' picks and more! by Petra Mayer [Octavia Butler]( Joelle Avelino Our pals at the Throughline podcast have something great for you this week -- a Black History Month episode dedicated to the legendary Octavia Butler. "It was middle school, eighth grade, when a sheltered 13-year-old boy suddenly found himself immersed in an unfamiliar world, guided by a girl who wasn't much older, a girl on the verge of leading a religious movement," writes host Ramtin Arablouei. "The boy was me. The girl, Lauren Oya Olamina, is, of course, the main character in Octavia Butler's classic science fiction novel Parable of the Sower." [Hear the episode here!]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- [Aspen Lit Prize shortlist books]( We're so excited to announce the shortlist for this year's Aspen Words Literary Prize! This $35,000 prize honors fiction that addresses important contemporary issues, and this year's finalists span the globe, covering everything from Native American land ownership questions to the intersections of Blackness and queerness to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "These books demonstrate the power of fiction to transform the way we see the world around us," says Adrienne Brodeur, executive director of [Aspen Words]( the nonprofit literary organization that hands out the prize in partnership with NPR. "They deal with serious topics, but among these novels and story collections are also stunning love stories and characters who will make you laugh out loud." Find the list -- with citations from judges Luis Alberto Urrea, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Sara Ladipo Manyika, Daniel Shaw and Emily Bernard -- [here](. [You Should See Me in a Crown, by Leah Johnson]( For Valentine's Day, Code Switch's Summer Thomad [talked to author Leah Johnson about her novel You Should See Me in a Crown](. It's the story of high-schooler Liz Lighty, who always feels "too Black, too poor, and too awkward" for her rich, mostly white, midwestern town. The book dives into the struggles of growing up Black and queer in a place where that's not the norm, but manages to still celebrate all kinds of love: platonic, familial and romantic. Johnson says "I wanted to remind myself that it is possible to be Black and queer and from where you're from, and still get all the best things out of life." [The Daughters of Kobani, by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon]( The Daughters of Kobani is something refreshing -- a story about hope, courage and female heroes. It follows an all-woman militia facing off against ISIS in a small town in northeastern Syria. Author Gayle Tzemach Lemmon [tells NPR's Mary Louise Kelly]( that when ISIS came to Kobani, the women there had a choice: "Either becoming someone's property or being forced into marriage or taking the fight to these men. And I think at a moment when so many women are rewriting the rules that govern their lives, this was exactly what these women did." Finally this week, critic Heller McAlpin says Patricia Lockwood's debut novel [No One is Talking About This]( is "another attention-grabbing mind-blower which toggles between irony and sincerity, sweetness and blight." Sarah Gailey's latest, The Echo Wife, follows a brilliant geneticist whose husband uses her research to clone her -- hijinks ensue. [Critic Jason Heller says]( "there are no magic wands or post-apocalyptic cults in The Echo Wife, but Gailey nonetheless builds one of their most daring worlds yet." And one last, late Valentine's Day treat -- [a roundup of classic romances]( from critic Denny Bryce, celebrating Black love, Black joy, and all the happy-ever-after you can handle. [No One is Talking About This, by Patricia Lockwood]( [The Echo Wife, by Sarah Gailey]( [Fire and Ice, by Carla Fredd]( Stay safe, stay warm, and happy reading! --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [books@npr.org](mailto:books@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Pop Culture, Code Switch and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Books emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]