Monthly Archives: April 2018

Bookstore Tourism: Rome

Posted on April 30, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

I don’t remember if I found the Open Door Bookshop on my first or second visit to Rome, but I do recall meeting the store’s founder the writer and journalist Charles Nopar. Secluded on a lovely street in the picture-postcard … Continue reading →

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Americain En France

Posted on April 29, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

A French “reading and conversation book” for American soldiers prepared upon the entry of the United States into the First World War. This volume belonged to David S. Blondheim, at that time an associate professor of French and later a professor … Continue reading →

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Get Thee To A Bookshop

Posted on April 28, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Today is Independent Bookstore Day across the United States. It’s an annual party to celebrate independent bookstores, authors, readers, and literacy. If you are in the U.S., you can find one of the 500+ participating indies right here. All of … Continue reading →

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Literary Road Trip

Posted on April 28, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

You might not agree with all of the choices that Mike Nudelman made for this literary map of the U.S. —I certainly didn’t—but it’s a good effort.

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Helsinki Rebranded

Posted on April 27, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

I was surprised to discover that up until very recently Helsinki never had a single or consistent brand system. Last summer, Finland’s capital finally commissioned the creative group Werklig to develop a contemporary brand design that would work across all … Continue reading →

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Book Power

Posted on April 26, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

BOOK POWER by Gwendolyn Brooks BOOKS FEED AND CURE AND CHORTLE AND COLLIDE In all this willful world of thud and thump and thunder man’s relevance to books continues to declare. Books are meat and medicine and flame and flight … Continue reading →

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You can call me a library rat anytime

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

I hadn’t heard the expression “library rat” since my undergraduate university days until I stumbled across this new mural by the Spanish street artist known as Xav. The work, which was commissioned by the Barcelona-based Contorno Urbano Foundation, celebrates those … Continue reading →

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Long Walk To A Dark Place

Posted on April 24, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

A big h/t to Cameron Booth for the link to this marvelous Middle Earth “transit” map. Commissioned by Empire magazine,the brilliant map which plots the journeys of the key characters through the Peter Jackson film adaptations of The Hobbit and Lord of the … Continue reading →

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The Art of Shinkansen

Posted on April 23, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Who doesn’t love an anime inspired gif ? The Central Japan Railway (JR Central) has commissioned a series of fifteen fun gifs by Japanese and international artists and animators to celebrate the world famous bullet train. The Art of Shinkansen project illustrates … Continue reading →

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How the dead communicate with us

Posted on April 22, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Last year, British cartoonist, artist, and children’s book writer Chris Riddell published this wonderful series of sketches that illustrate comments by the great Neil Gaiman on a variety of book related topics.

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