Monthly Archives: March 2019

Everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt

Posted on March 31, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the first publication of Kurt Vonnegut’s masterwork Slaughterhouse-Five. Part autobiographical, part science fiction, part satire, Slaughterhouse-Five was Vonnegut’s first bestseller and remains a revered literary classic of the 20th century. After the real-life Vonnegut … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, History, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Literary Infographics

Posted on March 30, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Back in the olden days when I was a student some of my peers would avoid assignments by reading Cliff Notes rather than full books. If you’re not familiar, Cliff Notes were commercially produced summaries of full length books that … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

A B C …

Posted on March 29, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Wow, I really love this terrific animated alphabet from the award-winning British design studio Mr.Kaplin.

Posted in Animation, Art, Film, Tech | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

The World Turned Upside Down

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

This week, the prize-winning British sculptor Mark Wallinger unveiled a dynamic new work at the London School of Economics. The World Turned Upside Down is an enormous inverted globe reversing our normal view of the world. Wallinger’s piece forces the observer to … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Europe | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

My Kind of Library

Posted on March 27, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Lochal is a new public library and city forum in Tilburg, Netherlands. The building offers space for the public library, co-work spaces, conference rooms, spaces for arts education and a large city hall for public events, exhibitions and debates. Lochal is … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Books, Europe, Libraries, Public Transport | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Bookseller Woes

Posted on March 26, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

You don’t have to be a bookseller to grok the exasperating experiences that bookstore owner Anne Barnetson hilariously explores in her ongoing comic series called Customer Service Wolf. The online comic documents the frustrations that most retail workers suffer through every day, … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Rick Steves Wants To Set You Free

Posted on March 25, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

If you live in the United States and have ever watched PBS television, or if you’ve ever visited the travel section of any bookstore, then you know exactly who Rick Steves is and what he’s all about. But if you’re … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, Hotels, Tourism, Travel Writing | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Perpetually Awaiting A Rebirth of Wonder

Posted on March 24, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Today is the 100th birthday of America’s most loved living poet. If you spend any time at TBTP, you have by now likely noticed my fondness for Lawrence Ferlinghetti. In fact, the first poetry books that I bought were his A … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, Freedom of Speech, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Nothing Happens

Posted on March 23, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

 

Posted in Animation, Art, Books, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Travel Further Than You Think

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Those of you who stop by TBTP on a regular basis know that I have a soft spot for travel posters. So, of course I love these brilliant and colorful railway ads for SNCF. Illustrators Wenyi Geng and Olivier Bonhomme … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Europe, Public Transport | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment