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36 ratings | 10 reviews | avg rating:4.94

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Marcia Butler

Goodreads Author

Born

in Schenectady, NY, The United States

Website

http://marciabutler.com

Twitter

MarciaAButler

Genre

Fiction, Memoir

Member Since

August 2015

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/marciabutler

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Marcia Butler’s nationally acclaimed memoir, The Skin Above My Knee, was one of the Washington Post’s “Top ten noteworthy moments in classical music in 2017”. Her debut novel, Pickle’s Progress, was hailed by Michael Schaub of NPR: “Surprising and audacious, Pickle’s Progress succeeds because of Butler’s willingness to take risks and her considerable charisma. She’s a gifted storyteller with a uniquely dry sense of humor and a real sympathy for her characters.” And Richard Russo said: "The four main characters in Pickle's Progress seems more alive than most of the people we know in real life because their fears and desires are so nakedly exposed." Her third book, Oslo, Maine, draws on indelible memories of performing for many years at a cha Marcia Butler’s nationally acclaimed memoir, The Skin Above My Knee, was one of the Washington Post’s “Top ten noteworthy moments in classical music in 2017”. Her debut novel, Pickle’s Progress, was hailed by Michael Schaub of NPR: “Surprising and audacious, Pickle’s Progress succeeds because of Butler’s willingness to take risks and her considerable charisma. She’s a gifted storyteller with a uniquely dry sense of humor and a real sympathy for her characters.” And Richard Russo said: "The four main characters in Pickle's Progress seems more alive than most of the people we know in real life because their fears and desires are so nakedly exposed." Her third book, Oslo, Maine, draws on indelible memories of performing for many years at a chamber music festival in central Maine. While there, Marcia came to love the majestic moose who roam at their perpetual peril among the humans. Bethanne Patrick of Literary Hub noted, “The author’s deep compassion for a different species means that you will wonder why more writers don’t choose to include all manner of beasts in their narratives.” In her stunning new novel (5/6/25) Dear Virginia, Wait For Me, Marcia draws a sensitive portrait of a not quite formed, vulnerable yet resilient, young woman who, with the help of her inner voice who she believes is Virginia Woolf, attempts to overcome the psychological damages wrought by her troubled upbringing. Best-selling author, Jonathan Lee, writes: “Her protagonist believes she's being guided by the voice of Virginia Woolf, but it is Butler's voice -- comforting and astute, alive to the music of kindness as well as betrayal -- that holds you to the end.”

Prior to becoming an author, Marcia had several creative careers: professional musician, interior designer, and documentary filmmaker. During her thirty-year musical career, she performed as a principal oboist and soloist on the most renowned of New York and international stages, with many high-profile musicians and orchestras – including pianist Andre Watts and composer/pianist Keith Jarrett. The New York Times hailed her as a “first rate artist”. Her interior design projects have been published in numerous shelter magazines and range up and down the East Coast, from Boston to NYC to Miami. The Creative Imperative, her documentary film exploring the essence of creativity, premiered in 2019 at The New York Society Library and is now available on YouTube.

Marcia’s writing has been published in The Washington Post, Literary Hub, PANK Magazine, Psychology Today, Aspen Ideas Magazine, Catapult, Bio-Stories, Kenyon Review, and others. She was a 2015 recipient of a Writer-in-Residence through Aspen Words and the Catto Shaw Foundation and was a writing fellow at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in 2018 and 2019. After four decades in New York City, Marcia now calls New Mexico home.

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Marcia Butler’s books

Average rating: 3.72 · 985 ratings · 260 reviews · 5 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Skin Above My Knee 4.17 avg rating — 338 ratings — published 2017 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Oslo, Maine 3.51 avg rating — 358 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pickle's Progress 3.30 avg rating — 173 ratings — published 2019 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dear Virginia, Wait for Me 3.66 avg rating — 116 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pickle's Progress Lib/E by Marcia Butler (Goodreads Author), Kate Mulligan (Reader) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Inside the Mirror

by Parul Kapur

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Oct 16, 2023 11:09AM

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Marcia’s Recent Updates

Marcia Butler liked Molly Ringle's review of Dear Virginia, Wait for Me: "I knew within a few chapters that this would be my favorite book yet of Butler's, and it lived up to that promise! It's an utterly delightful found-family story, set in NYC in Y2K. Our main characters work in the Twin Towers, and knowing 9/11 is on t" Read more of this review »
Jan 29, 2025 04:01PM · see review
Marcia Butler and 9 other people liked Literary Redhead's review of Dear Virginia, Wait for Me: "Peppa is a young brilliant but fragile woman who feels she's guided by the voice of Virginia Woolf. She flourishes after joining an investment firm in Manhattan, but after a traumatizing betrayal, suffers a mental collapse. This poignant story offers" Read more of this review »
Jan 29, 2025 04:01PM · see review

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Play Book Tag: Pickle's Progress by Marcia Butler - 1 star	5	18	Mar 26, 2019 07:38AM
Play Book Tag: Joy D's PBT Challenge Tracking 2019	6	59	Dec 13, 2019 06:03PM
2026 Reading Chal...: Joy D's 84 in 2019	21	308	Dec 31, 2019 05:39AM
2026 Reading Chal...: Joy D's Book Balcony 2019	23	355	Dec 31, 2019 05:55AM
2026 Reading Chal...: Popsugar - 2019	1764	2638	Jan 09, 2020 05:53AM
Crazy Challenge C...: 21x21 Challenge	182	140	Sep 04, 2024 06:46PM

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