Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

Diary of a Bad Year

Posted on April 25, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

“The recent successes of human reason in its long contest with virus thinking should not delude us, for it has held the upper hand a mere instant in evolutionary time. What if the tide turns; and what if the lesson … Continue reading →

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An Unknown Hobbit

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Slovak illustrator Peter Klúcik was commissioned to illustrate a new version of J R R Tolkien’s The Hobbit in 1988. For the project he created 40 illustrations that were rich in detail and quite different from previous works for Tolkien … Continue reading →

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A Social Distance

Posted on April 23, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I found this simple film of everyday people from 30 countries most impacted by COVID-19 who filmed themselves in isolation to be surprisingly moving. This touching three-minute short was directed by Ivan Cash and Jacob Jonas, and it is accompanied … Continue reading →

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Philadelphia Story

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

This past week, Philadelphia has used a number of those plywood panels on boarded up businesses around the city to post messages of gratitude to Philly’s essential workers. The project is from the tourism folks at Visit Philly, who created … Continue reading →

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Perhaps the world ends here

Posted on April 21, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Perhaps the World Ends Here Joy Harjo The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live. The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, … Continue reading →

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Mostly Miscellaneous Monday

Posted on April 20, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been using this down time to plan some travels. One of the top destinations on my list for next spring is a return to Iceland. I’ve been many time over the years, but … Continue reading →

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Radio Radio

Posted on April 19, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Due to the pesky pandemic, international travel is not on the table right now. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t get a taste of foreign cultures from around the world, without ever leaving your home. Radio Garden is a … Continue reading →

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Read Your Way Across The U.S.

Posted on April 18, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

According to Good Reads this map offers the most popular book in each U.S. state.

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Every Book Cover Tells a Story

Posted on April 17, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

You may have seen this clever visual short story making the rounds on the interwebs this week. Take the time to read the spines to follow the theme created by Phil Shaw; it’s quite clever.  

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Go Ask Alice

Posted on April 16, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

In my never-ending quest to bore everyone to tears with my fascination with the Lewis Carroll classic, here is yet another special edition of the classic children’s book.  Alicia in Terra Mirabili, is the Latin translation of Alice in Wonderland. The … Continue reading →

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