Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

Is History Repeating

Posted on March 14, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

The pamphlet Plight of Ukrainian DPs : a few typical letters of many being received daily from Europe describing the tragic plight of Ukrainian displaced persons whom the Soviets would forcibly repatriate and doom to enslavement, persecution or death, was published in … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, History | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Man serves the interests of no creature except himself

Posted on March 13, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

I first read George Orwell’s seminal anti-totalitarianism satire  Animal Farm when I lacked the political sophistication to truly understand the significance of the story, but some how I managed to grasp the essential themes of idealism, power and corruption in … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Inside the glacier

Posted on March 12, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Regular visitors to Travel BetweenThe Pages are well aware of my long time obsession with Iceland. So I was excited to share this video of a live performance by the Icelandic band Kaleo, which was recorded in January within the … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Film, Music | Tagged , | Leave a comment

About suffering they were never wrong

Posted on March 11, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

W. H. Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts,” written in 1938, is one of the better-known examples of ekphrasis, or poems inspired by artworks, up there with Keats’s “Ode on a Grecian Urn” and Rilke’s “Archaic Torso of Apollo.”Auden’s subject is … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Museums, Writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Stand With Ukraine

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

It’s heartening to see the response from street artists around the world who have created amazing murals to support the Ukrainian people in such a short period of time.  

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Bookstore Tourism: The End of an Era

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

A 143 year legacy will soon be coming to an end after it was announced last week that Waterstones has bought Blackwell’s, the UK’s biggest independent bookshop chain. This will mean that Waterstones, Barnes & Noble, Foyles and Blackwell’s will all … Continue reading →

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Historic Borders

Posted on March 8, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

With the tragic news unfolding daily in Europe, it’s an appropriate time to take stock of how we got here. I’ve always found that maps can be an excellent way to help visualize geo-political conflicts. I recently discovered this simple, … Continue reading →

Posted in apps, History, Maps | Tagged , | 3 Comments

forever making poems in the lap of death

Posted on March 7, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Humanity I Love You Humanity i love you because you would rather black the boots of success than enquire whose soul dangles from his watch-chain which would be embarrassing for both parties and because you unflinchingly applaud all songs containing … Continue reading →

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Ukraine: Finding Context

Posted on March 6, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Like most people these days, I have been trying to learn more about the regional war that Putin has launched against Ukraine and to put it all in context. Sadly, I must admit that I have always paid more attention … Continue reading →

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

“How can I begin anything new with all of yesterday in me?”

Posted on March 5, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

It was announced last week that a previously unpublished book by Leonard Cohen—rejected by two publishers and then set aside—will be published this October by Grove Press. The novel, A Ballet of Lepers, will be published with fifteen short stories and … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Canada, Writing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment