Earthseed: Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents

by Octavia E. Butler

“Your father says he doesn’t believe people changed the climate in spite of what scientists say. He says only God could change the world in such an important way.”

“He’s the best person I know, but even he has blind spots.”

“What then?” she demanded. “What can we do?”

*The* question. Of the novels, and of our lives..

Three books on survival in the wilderness, three on guns and shooting, two each on handling medical emergencies, California native and naturalized plants and their uses, and basic living: logcabin-building, livestock raising, plant cultivation, soap making—that kind of thing.

“I’m trying to learn

I think we should

I think we...

I think we...

“I intend to survive.”

“You’ve been reading too many adventure stories,”

😛

Books aren’t going to save us.” “Nothing is going to save us. If we don’t save ourselves, we’re dead.

Go home and look again. And like I said, use your imagination. Any kind of survival information from encyclopedias, biographies, anything that helps you learn to live off the land and defend ourselves.

Even some fiction might be useful.”

Yes! Haha

Haha

Who also might die from the struggle

Phillida Garfield

Was Joanne scared? Not scared enough to use her brain, it seems.

Haha

Did she think getting me into trouble would make the danger go away?

Haha

What if I’d been more open. What if I’d talked religion with her? I’d wanted to. How will I ever be able to talk to anyone about that?

“Do you think our world is coming to an end?”

“No, I think your world is coming to an end, and maybe you with it.”

“You’re fifteen,” he said. “You don’t really understand what’s going on here.

The problems we have now have been building since long before you were born.”

Always tell the truth. But don’t always be telling it. Elizabeth Moore Pendleton Hackney, 1895-1968

Haha

“It wasn’t scare talk. We do need to learn what we can while there’s time.” “That’s not up to you, Lauren. You don’t make decisions for this community.”

earthquake packs,”

the rattle—

Or rattling one’s sword before drawing it out.

“It’s better to teach people than to scare them, Lauren.

If you scare them and nothing happens, they lose their fear, and you lose some of your authority with them. It’s harder to scare them a second time, harder to teach them, harder to win back their trust.

Best to begin by t...

Mr. Ibarra’s

Mrs. Baiter’s

Robert...

If you can think of ways to entertain them and teach them at the same time, you’ll get your information out.

Teach and delight, as Sidney insisted in his Apology for Poetry. Also come at them “with a tale, forsooth, he cometh unto you with a tale which holdeth children from play, and old men from the chimney-corner.” Ibid. https://www.thefreshreads.com/an-apology-for-poetry/

all without making anyone look down.” “Look down … ?” “Into the abyss, Daughter.”

“Maybe it’s time to look down. Time to look for some hand and foot holds before we just get pushed in.”

“That’s why we have target practice every week and Lazor wire and our emergency bell.

And, of course, some won’t do anything at all. There are always people who won’t do anything.”

Talk to them about classes, not about Armageddon.”

Hahaa

There are some important things buried in the yard in sealed containers. It’s time for you to know where they are—just in case.”

Haha. Good dad. He’s way ahead of her.

But if Noah is going to be saved, he has plenty of hard work to do.

How’d they get over the Lazor wire?

Jay Garfield,

Wyatt and Kayla Talcott,

Alex Mo...

Edwin...

Now and then people get together to play music, sing, play board games, talk, or get out on the paved part of the street for volleyball, touch football, basketball, or tennis.

Ways to imitate “normality.”

Haha!