Monthly Archives: September 2020

Good As New (almost)

Posted on September 20, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

After recently spending more than an hour making minor repairs to a damaged 19th century book, I have an even greater appreciation for book conservation professionals. This nine minute video shows how King’s College Library  Cambridge conserves its collection of … Continue reading →

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Pulp Fiction Fictions

Posted on September 19, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Screenwriter Todd Alcott, creates these wonderful digital mashups  that combine the language of pop music and the visual language of 20th century pulp fiction paperbacks. While Alcott finds many of his vintage book covers online, he still discovers a few … Continue reading →

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Get Free Art Books

Posted on September 18, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Quarantine Public Library is a brilliant online publisher of free short downloadable books created by independent writers, photographers, and artists. The diminutive books are designed to be printed on one sheet of paper, then folded into a zine-style book. The … Continue reading →

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Beckett’s Theories

Posted on September 17, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Two short works from underappreciated Canadian poet, essayist, Greek scholar Anne Carson.      

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These songs of freedom

Posted on September 16, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Paris-based Mathematic Studio produced this wonderful animation for Bob Marley’s timeless “Redemption Song.” Directed by Octave Marsal and Théo de Gueltzl, the video draws heavily on imagery and iconography surrounding the Rastafarian movement.

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A Little Roadside Poetry

Posted on September 15, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

From Maine to New Mexico and from Alabama to Minnesota a series of roadside poetry signs have been popping up across the United States. The often philosophical works are all based on Japanese Senryū  style a sister poem to the … Continue reading →

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Dune, Now and Then

Posted on September 14, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Science Fiction fans around the world—myself included—were excited to see the first trailer for the new Dune film last week. (see below)Although I enjoyed the first cinematic interpretation of Frank Herbert’s interstellar saga, like many I found David Lynch’s version lacking in … Continue reading →

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Book Off Japan

Posted on September 13, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Secondhand and used bookstores around the world have been struggling during the Pandemic just like most other retail businesses. But they have the added burden of replenishing their book stocks. Many used booksellers rely on customers bringing in books to … Continue reading →

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Recreate Responsibly

Posted on September 12, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Who knew that the National Park Service had a sense of humor. You can check-out some more clever posters on the official website.  

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Listen to the Forests

Posted on September 11, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

A site called Sounds of the Forest is collecting sounds from forests and woodland areas around the world and presenting them on a world map.They are collecting the sounds of woodlands and forests from all around the world, building a soundmap … Continue reading →

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