Katherine Dunham and Octavia Butler

Two great women who share the same birthday today made the transition in 2006, Katherine Dunham and Octavia Butler.

Katherine Dunham was born on this day in 1909 in Joliet, Illinois. She became one of the revolutionary forces in modern dance through her introduction and use of African and Caribbean styles. Ms. Dunham was successful on the stage and in the movies, including Stormy Weather, in the late 1960's she formed the Katherine Dunham Center
for the Performing Arts and in 1983 was awarded Kennedy Center Honors.

Octavia Butler was born on this day in 1947 in Pasadena, California. She became a Science Fiction Writer and won the Hugo Award for Excellence in Science Fiction Writing in 1984 amongst many other awards in her latter career.

Her works include:

Xenogenesis Trilogy
Dawn (1987)
Adulthood Rites (1988)
Imago (1989)
trilogy republished as: Lilith's Brood (2000)

Patternist
Wild Seed (1980)
Mind of My Mind (1977)
Patternmaster (1976)
Clay's Ark (1984)
Survivor (1978)

Kindred (1979)
Parable
Parable of the Sower (1994) (nominated for a Nebula in 1994-95)
Parable of the Talents (1998) New York: Seven Stories Press.

"Speech Sounds"
appeared in Asimov's (December 1983). Won Hugo. Republished in Bloodchild and Other Stories (1995).
"Bloodchild"
appeared in Asimov's (June 1984); won 1984 Nebula for best novelette; won 1985 Hugo. Republished in Bloodchild and Other Stories (1995).
Bloodchild and Other Stories.
(Four Walls Eight Windows: New York, London, 1995).
Includes Preface, "Bloodchild" (1984); "The Evening and the Morning and the Night" (1987 / 1988); "Near of Kin" (1979); "Speech Sounds" (1983); "Crossover" (1971); and two essays: "Positive Obsession" (1989, as "Birth of a Writer"); "Furor Scribendi" (1993).

Peace and Blessings to these Queens. We say your names, we say your names. We honor you!