Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

Hot Stuff and Sundry Sunday

Posted on August 9, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

“Explore the world’s only complete guide to the hot sauce types of the world. Hot sauces have been around for millennia, as Aztecs and other people of Mexico and Central America ground chile peppers, water and spices, adding heat and … Continue reading →

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Southern Gothic

Posted on August 8, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

“Where you come from is gone, where you thought you were going to was never there, and where you are is no good unless you can get away from it. Where is there a place for you to be? No … Continue reading →

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How to write like Ian Fleming

Posted on August 7, 2026 by Brian D. Butler
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Bugging Out

Posted on August 6, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

If you need another reason not to visit the United States this year maybe this will do it. Fortunately, I have not been bitten by bedbugs since I was an adolescent, but I have heard enough horror stories from travelers … Continue reading →

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we move another summer closer to our last summer together

Posted on August 5, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

THE ORDINARY WEATHER OF SUMMER In the ordinary weather of summer with storms rumbling from west to east like so many freight trains hauling their cargo of heat and rain, the dogs sprawl on the back steps, panting, insects assemble … Continue reading →

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Tourists, Go Home

Posted on August 4, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

Travelers who want to avoid other tourists and interact with the people who actually live there, should probably avoid Monaco and Malta. According to this chart, the first has 9 tourists for every local, while the second has 6.3 to … Continue reading →

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Summer Reading

Posted on August 3, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

President Barack Obama has released his summer reading list. On social media, he wrote, “It’s that time of year again: here are some of the books I’ve enjoyed this summer. If you’ve read any good ones, let me know!…. And … Continue reading →

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Long, Long List

Posted on August 2, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

The 13-title longlist for the £50,000 (about $66,485) 2026 Booker Prize has been released and includes authors representing seven countries and three continents. A shortlist will be announced September 22, with the authors each receiving £2,500 (about $3,325). The winner will be … Continue reading →

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Be Kind, Please Rewind

Posted on August 1, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

Inspired by Little Free Libraries, public boxes and mini-houses where people can donate or borrow books, Free Blockbuster allows folks to exchange films in a similar spirit. The organization — which was founded in Los Angeles in 2019 by Brian Morrison, a … Continue reading →

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Eventide

Posted on July 31, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

Mary Ruefle erasure of Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” Carl Jung once wrote: “Thoroughly unprepared we take the step into the afternoon of life; worse still, we take this step with the false assumption that our truths … Continue reading →

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