Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

Summer in Iceland

Posted on November 2, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Each year, Ólafur Már Björnsson produces a video compilation based on his summer travels and hikes around his native Iceland. His photography covers some areas rarely seen by tourists and only accessible to serious backcountry hikers. This year’s video already has … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Film, Photography, Tourism | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Bram Stoker: Library Miscreant

Posted on November 1, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

I have been a fan of Bram Stoker’s creepy classic Dracula ever since my first reading as a child. Here in Philadelphia, we are fortunate to have a fascinating collection of Stoker’s notes for the book at the wonderful Rosenbach Museum and … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, History, Libraries, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

William S. Burroughs gets spooky

Posted on October 31, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

The Witches or Witchcraft Through the Ages, or Häxan, is a Swedish-Danish film that is a curious and groundbreaking mix of documentary and silent horror cinema, written and directed by Benjamin Christensen. Christensen’s vision was unique, basing his film on non-fiction works, mainly the Malleus … Continue reading →

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A Halloween Thriller

Posted on October 30, 2018 by Brian D. Butler
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Word On The Street : NYC

Posted on October 29, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

H/t to artist Wilson Tseng for his new street art campaign to address the MAGA trash in our cities.

Posted in Art, Public Transport, USA | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Another Reason To Heart SF

Posted on October 28, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Last week, eleven independent bookstores in San Francisco received a surprising gift—a no strings attached cash grant from the city. San Francisco city government, in partnership with the nonprofit Working Solutions, awarded a total of $103,000 to fund “revitalization” of … Continue reading →

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Bram Stoker’s Dublin

Posted on October 27, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

The last weekend in October has become the best time to visit Dublin each year since the advent of the Bram Stoker Festival and Halloween Parade seven years ago. The festivities always include a spectacular costumed parade, theatrical performances, musical … Continue reading →

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The Writer’s Map

Posted on October 26, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Just published, The Writer’s Map is a marvelous atlas of literary journeys made by authors. The book explores maps that inspired literary works as well as examples of cartography from famous works of fiction and film. Daniel Reeve recounts his creation of … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, History, Maps, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

And the winner is…

Posted on October 25, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird was chosen by voters as America’s #1 best-loved novel in  “The Great American Read.” The viewers’ voting results were revealed Tuesday night on PBS during the final episode of the eight-part television series and nationwide campaign, … Continue reading →

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Now that autumn is upon us

Posted on October 24, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

You may have noticed that I am a huge fan of Tom Gauld’s brilliant comics. This week, he released a brand new book of fifty postcards of his best literary cartoons titled The Snooty Bookshop.

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