Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

Long Walk To A Dark Place

Posted on April 24, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

A big h/t to Cameron Booth for the link to this marvelous Middle Earth “transit” map. Commissioned by Empire magazine,the brilliant map which plots the journeys of the key characters through the Peter Jackson film adaptations of The Hobbit and Lord of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Film, Maps, movies, Public Transport | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Art of Shinkansen

Posted on April 23, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Who doesn’t love an anime inspired gif ? The Central Japan Railway (JR Central) has commissioned a series of fifteen fun gifs by Japanese and international artists and animators to celebrate the world famous bullet train. The Art of Shinkansen project illustrates … Continue reading →

Posted in Animation, Art, Asia, Public Transport, Tech, Tourism | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

How the dead communicate with us

Posted on April 22, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Last year, British cartoonist, artist, and children’s book writer Chris Riddell published this wonderful series of sketches that illustrate comments by the great Neil Gaiman on a variety of book related topics.

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

The Dutch Are Religious About Libraries

Posted on April 21, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

A few years ago, a disused 15th century church in Zwolle, Netherlands was transformed into a modern library. Now,  a 19th century church in ‘s- Hertogenbosch  has been turned into a stunning 21st century combined library/museum/community center. What a great … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Books, Europe, Libraries | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Bowie : Station to Station

Posted on April 20, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

This week, New York City transit riders have been lining up to purchase special edition David Bowie MetroCards. The city’s Metropolitan Transit Authority has teamed up with Spotify to offer five different options each celebrating the late artist’s varied personas. … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Maps, Photography, Public Transport, Tourism, USA | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Tales of Good and Evil

Posted on April 19, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

I have long been aware that Edward Gorey designed and illustrated his own books, but I was surprised to discover that he worked as a book designer for Doubleday Publishing throughout the 1950s. While employed by Doubleday, Gorey created more … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Difficult Times

Posted on April 18, 2018 by Brian D. Butler
Posted in Art, Books, Writing | Tagged | Leave a comment

Back to Back

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

The antiquarian book above is actually two volumes in one. This rare style of binding is usually referred to as dos-a-dos, from the French “back to back”. As the term suggests, these books share the same back cover. Books bound in … Continue reading →

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

Freedom to Read

Posted on April 16, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

During National Library Week, the American Library Association released its annual Top Ten List of Frequently Challenged Books . American libraries continue to face challenges—including the potential for censorship—to a variety of books, programs and periodicals. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Freedom of Speech, Libraries, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

My First Memory of Librarians

Posted on April 15, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

A last tribute to libraries and librarians for National Library Week from the brilliant Nikki Giovanni. MY FIRST MEMORY (OF LIBRARIANS) This is my first memory: A big room with heavy wooden tables that sat on a creaky wood floor … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Libraries, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment