Kara Kelawan '21

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler is the first in a two-book science fiction series. The novel was written in 1993 but takes place in 2025 where global warming has ravaged the world. It follows Lauren, a Black teenager, through her diary entries, and the novel focuses on the intersectional topics of race relations, environmentalism, class, and religion. It is a heartbreaking and challenging read, and I chose it for the library because while science fiction has always been my favorite genre, rarely have the protagonists included Black women, and even more so, rarely have the authors been Black women. Octavia E. Butler’s works are empowering and insightful, and I think it is necessary that the library includes her works. 

I am an Anthropology modified with Spanish major. I worked at Paddock Music Library throughout my sophomore year, and I have been working at Baker-Berry Library since my sophomore spring.

After graduation, I will be working as a paralegal for two years before law school, and my goal is to become a Civil Rights lawyer. Of course, my senior year at Dartmouth has been nothing like what I expected, but I’m grateful to have lived in Hanover for its entirety and spent time outdoors with my friends.