Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

Global Dickens

Posted on May 15, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I’m hoping that I will be able to catch the just opened exhibition called Global Dickens: For Every Nation Upon Earth this Fall at London’s excellent Dickens Museum. The show runs from this week through November 3, 2019. Here’s what … Continue reading →

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Bookstore Tourism: Manhattan

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

It seems that every week I read about the closing of another independent bookstore in New York City, so it’s a relief to discover a shop that’s thriving. Chartwell Booksellers is celebrating its 36th anniversary this year in its unique … Continue reading →

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Poetry Generator

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Last week, Google launched its AI poem generator, PoemPortraits.  How  does it work? It’s really quite simple. The generator asks you to input, or “donate,” a word to be produced into an algorithmic couplet, as lifted from millions of words … Continue reading →

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Used Book Simulation

Posted on May 12, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

h/t Tom Gauld

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Airport Security Woes

Posted on May 11, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I recently received an email from TPTP reader Martin from Spain who had some unpleasant experiences with the airport security procedures during a trip in the United States. Martin explained that on three different occasions he had been pulled aside … Continue reading →

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Ancient and Modern Meet in the Cyclades

Posted on May 10, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

A remarkable exhibition of contemporary sculpture by British artist Antony Gormley is on display from now through October 2019 at the extraordinary archaeological site of the Greek island of Delos. The non-profit organization NEON  is presenting the collection of anthropomorphic … Continue reading →

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Animating Books and Travel

Posted on May 9, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

This short animated film was created as part of the Sketchtravel project, an international charity project in which a red sketchbook was distributed to 71 artists from around the world for 4 ½ years. The original Sketchbook was sold for 70,000 … Continue reading →

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Flying Book Beetle

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Beijing-based firm LUO Studio has created an adorable mobile mini-library crafted out of recycled industrial parts. Made from an abandoned bicycle, discarded iron car sheets and reclaimed wood, the Shared Lady Beetle is a tiny contraption in the shape of a … Continue reading →

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Turn Left At Winterfell

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

You don’t have to be a huge Game of Thrones or Song of Ice and Fire fan to appreciate the genius of James Shadrach Schoenke’s brilliantly imagined modern-day Westeros maps. The St.Louis-based artist and designer modeled his cartography on contemporary … Continue reading →

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Happy 300th to Robinson Crusoe

Posted on May 6, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Daniel Defoe’s Adventures of Robinson Crusoe was first published on April 25, 1719, and before the end of the year had run through four editions. An abridged children’s version was published in 1784 in Boston, printed and sold by N. … Continue reading →

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