Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

A destroyer of books

In The Book Hunter (1863), John Hill Burton identifies five types of “persons who meddle with books”: “A bibliognoste, from the Greek, is one knowing in title-pages and colophons, and in editions; the place and year when printed; the presses whence issued; … Continue reading

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There and Back Again (again)

I recently stumbled on a post from a random library blog about one of the most beloved books in the English language. The article focused on a wonderful 1966 American edition published in Boston by Houghton Mifflin. It includes Tolkien’s own … Continue reading

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Es ist nur eine Frage der Zeit.

“It’s Just a Matter of Time,” a simple yet evocative phrase, appears on standard billboards in white Gothic typeface on a black background, disrupting the typical flow of commercial information. When the work was first installed in 1992 in Hamburg, … Continue reading

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Peace, Love & Books

If you are a regular visitor here, then you know that I love an inspiring narrative about the power of literature and reading. For Californian Davina Agudelo-Ferreira, her personal story about the life-changing influence of the written word is especially … Continue reading

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The world in verse

Every city, every forest, mountain, and every river has its own poem waiting to be discovered. You can uncover that geographic poetry on the MultiVerse – an interactive map where a single click anywhere in the world generates a unique … Continue reading

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August Bonfires

Gozan Okuribi (bonfires) held on the evening of August 16 is one of Kyoto’s many popular and symbolic religious ceremonies in summer. Okuribi (bonfires) are said to send off ancestors’ spirits to the other side. People believe ancestral spirits come … Continue reading

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Come and say G’day

Australia was actually on my top five travel destination list for the coming year before I saw the new Tourism Australia ad campaign. Tourism Australia has brought back its big-budget “Come and Say G’day” campaign, and this time it’s doubling … Continue reading

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Perfect Job

 

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Warsaw Old and New

It is often said that the best way to get a sense of a city is by walking the streets. The second best route is probably by bike. YouTube creator MrTiuro got on his bike and really got to see … Continue reading

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We see that there really is nothing left to write about.

LATE ECHO John Ashbery Alone with our madness and favorite flower We see that there really is nothing left to write about. Or rather, it is necessary to write about the same old things In the same way, repeating the … Continue reading

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