Monthly Archives: April 2012

Koninginnedag (finally)

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Every April 30th, the citizens of the Netherlands celebrate Koninginnedag or Queen’s Day, a national holiday that commemorates the reigning Queen’s birthday. Like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, New Year’s Eve in Times Square, St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin and … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Tourism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Herman Melville Meets Zeppelin

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

I am embarassed to admit that I just found out the other day that Herman Melville‘s iconic novel Moby Dick was out of print for decades. In fact, if a copy had not discovered in a secondhand bookshop, the seminal work may have been … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Film, USA, Writing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Rare Books, Rare Bookstores

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

The International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) has launched an ILAB Mobile App which is now available in the Apple Store and the Android Market. Search for “ILAB rare books” or “International League of Antiquarian Booksellers” to find the free … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, Writing | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Rotterdam Tries Harder

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Let’s be honest, Rotterdam is not the Netherland’s most attractive city or prime tourist attraction. It’s a vibrant and exciting cultural center, but it lost most of its historic buildings due to World War II bombings. These days, however, Rotterdam … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Europe, Tourism | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Occupy Libraries

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

In December, 2011 The Detroit Public Library Commission voted to close four branches of the city library. Some library-loving Detroit 4th graders decided to take matters into their own hands and fight back. The 4th grade class at Detroit’s Marcus … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Libraries, USA | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

First Cut Is The Deepest

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Michigan-based artist Thomas Allen creates exceptional lively and entertaining illustrations using figures that he cuts and folds from secondhand and castaway books. Some of his earlier book art was based on the always saucy cover art from pulp fiction paperback novels … Continue reading →

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Blade Runner is not Science Fiction

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

In 1981, Philip K. Dick saw a television show featuring a segment about the soon to be released Ridley Scott film Blade Runner, based on his iconic novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. In response he wrote an impassioned letter … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, History | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Books Nights and Day

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

April 23rd is a big day (and night) for book lovers and bibliophiles around the world. Since 1995 the day has been designated by UNESCO as World Book and Copyright Day in honor of the birth and death of Shakespeare … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, Libraries, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

City2Cities

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

City2Cities: International Literature Days Utrecht is an exciting international literature festival. Each year City2Cities, in short C2C, connects the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands with two other literary cities. In 2011 those cities were Edinburgh and Stockholm, this year … Continue reading →

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Is This The End for Sarko ?

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Well today is the first round of voting in the French elections and things are not looking up for Sarkozy. These clever pieces of street art have been turning up all over Paris lately. Are you eligible to vote today … Continue reading →

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