Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

The Misery of Manila Folders

Posted on July 8, 2020

DOLOR Theodore Roethke I have known the inexorable sadness of pencils, Neat in their boxes, dolor of pad and paper weight, All the misery of manilla folders and mucilage, Desolation in immaculate public places, Lonely reception room, lavatory, switchboard, The … Continue reading →

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Magical Mystery Tour

Posted on July 7, 2020

Vanity Fair magazine commissioned the marvelous video below guaranteed to warm the heart of any Beatles fan. It’s a 12 minute tour around the world using Google Maps, highlighting locations mentioned in the Beatles lyrics, from Liverpool to the Black … Continue reading →

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An American Tale

Posted on July 6, 2020

Jamaican-born author Claudia Rankine is the author of Citizen: An American Lyric. It was named one of the best books of the year in 2014 by numerous media outlets, including The New Yorker, The Atlantic, National Public Radio, and Publisher’s Weekly. The … Continue reading →

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How Books Have Helped

Posted on July 5, 2020

Washington D.C. is blessed with an abundance of excellent bookstores. One of my favorites has long been the wonderful Second Story Books in the Dupont Circle neighborhood. Now they have partnered with the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress … Continue reading →

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A Declaration of Independence

Posted on July 4, 2020

Back in 1971 the computer was barely understood by the average person and the concept of an ebook didn’t yet exist, but when Michael Stern Hart, a technologist and futurist, was given access to the Xerox Sigma V mainframe at the University … Continue reading →

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Memorable Opening Lines

Posted on July 3, 2020

In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. — F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925) I lost an arm on my last trip home. — Octavia Butler, Kindred (1979) Once … Continue reading →

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Lost But Not Forgotten

Posted on July 2, 2020

Amelia Mary Earhart disappeared  83 years ago on July 2, 1937. She was an American aviator, author, and the second person–after Charles Lindbergh–and the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.  Earhart was also a best-selling author. … Continue reading →

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I ❤ NY

Posted on July 1, 2020

You may not have known his name, but there is no doubt you’ve seen his work. Milton Glaser, one of the world’s most influential and pioneering graphic designers, died on June 26th, which was also his 91st birthday. The design … Continue reading →

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Simple Steps To Safely Purchase A Book

Posted on June 30, 2020

 

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The rockets came like locusts.

Posted on June 29, 2020

Like many antiquarian book collectors, I tend to focus on old first editions and elaborately bound illustrated books. Doing so can result in overlooking wonderfully illustrated paperbacks and re-issues such as this terrific 1979 edition of Ray Bradbury’s science fiction … Continue reading →

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