Nikki High’s Octavia’s Bookshelf in Pasadena was spared by the fire, but touched by change, it became a hub of reliefNikki High, founder of Pasadena’s Octavia’s Bookshelf, couldn’t shake the words of her bookstore’s namesake, science-fiction legend Octavia Butler: “All that you touch, you change. All that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is change.”The past week had made that truth painfully clear to her and her community. A devastating wildfire, known as the Eaton fire, tore through Pasadena and Altadena, leaving destruction in its wake. Twenty-seven lives were lost and dozens still remained unaccounted for. Homes were reduced to ash and families were left searching for basic necessities. Continue reading...