Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

How to Help

Like many folks observing the latest conflict in the Middle East I have been feeling a sense of helplessness. At times like this often the only option is to identify organizations that are actually providing aid and support to people … Continue reading →

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Everyday Life

This time of the year most folks who visit the U.S. state of Vermont are on a leaf-peeping mission. However, there’s a little museum housed in an old barn that also deserves a detour.  The Museum of Everyday Life is … Continue reading →

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Time Travel

 

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The (almost) Whole Whole Earth Catalog

It’s likely that most Americans of the so-called Baby Boomer generation at one time or another spent some quality time perusing the Whole Earth Catalog. Now “nearly” complete copies of early editions are online at wholeearth.info. Founded 55 years ago by counterculture … Continue reading →

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Saturday Sundries

Every festive season needs a traditional story. Autumn is no exception to this rule, so here’s the annual retelling of It’s Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers. “I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to get my hands on some … Continue reading →

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” I wish the world were ending tomorrow. “

Franz Kafka // I wish the world were ending tomorrow. Then I could take the next train, arrive at your doorstep…and say: ‘Come with me…we are going to love each other without scruples or fear or restraint. Because the world … Continue reading →

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A library implies an act of faith

Opened in 1897 as the Chicago Public Library, the Chicago Cultural Center is housed in a beautiful Beaux-Arts building designed by George Foster Shepley, and opened in 1897. While the center is famous for its stunning Tiffany stained-glass domes, it … Continue reading →

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I don’t need anything from here.

“I Don’t Need Anything from Here” by László Krasznahorkai translated by Ottilie Mulzet I would leave everything here: the valleys, the hills, the paths, and the jaybirds from the gardens, I would leave here the petcocks and the padres, heaven … Continue reading →

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The Invention of Fantasy

The Man Who Invented Fantasy All those wizards, ogres, and barely-clad elf queens in the bookstore? You have Lester del Rey to thank. by Dan Sinykin Lester del Rey wore 1950s-style horn-rimmed glasses, an unruly billy-goat beard, and his silver … Continue reading →

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Global Poster Art

I was today years old when I learned that London Transport has been commissioning poster art since 1908. Now, the London Transport Museum’s new Global Poster Gallery will offer visitors a deep dive into the relationship between art and the … Continue reading →

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