Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

Magical Cities

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Way back sometime ago I shared a post on Vahram Muratyan’s cheeky compare & contrast graphic project Paris vs New York. Now Paris-based freelance filmmaker Frank Matellini has taken the concept to the next level with this charming short video … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Film, Photography, Tourism, USA | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Would Hemingway Use It

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Designed like an old-fashioned typewriter, the Hemingwrite is a single purpose writing device. Combining the simplicity of 80s era word processors with modern tech, such as wifi, Bluetooth and cloud backup to Google docs and Evernote, the retro-modern tool aims … Continue reading →

Posted in Tech, USA, Writing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Literary Starbucks

Posted on October 26, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Jill, Nora and Wilson are three college students who spend a little too much time at their local Starbucks. But they’ve put that malingering to good use with their very amusing blog Literary Starbucks. The minimalist site imagines what might … Continue reading →

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

Welcome to Middle Earth

Posted on October 25, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Air New Zealand has once again partnered with filmmaker Peter Jackson to create an epic Hobbit-themed air safety video. Starring Elijah Wood and Jackson himself, the film showcases stunning views of the New Zealand countryside along with amusing cameos by … Continue reading →

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Kids Love Books

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Ethiopia Reads builds schools, libraries, trains teachers and supports mentoring programs throughout Ethiopia, but one of their coolest projects is the Donkey Mobile Libraries. Since 2005, Ethiopia Reads’ five donkeymobiles have brought books to more than 120,000 children in rural … Continue reading →

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Tumblr this is not

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Love old books? Check-out the terrific new website Quill from book historian Erik Kwakkel.

Posted in Animation, Art, Books, Europe, Film, Libraries, Tourism, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Girl With A Pierced Eardrum

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Banksy painted a new piece this week titled “Girl With a Pierced Eardrum”. The parody (or paean) is a take-off on Vermeer’s beloved “Girl With a Pearl Earring”. The work can be found at the Albion Dockyard in Banksy’s purported hometown … Continue reading →

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Paris Museums

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

There’s good news for Paris museum visitors; starting in 2015 some of the most popular attractions are expanding opening times to seven days a week. Instead of closing one day each week on Mondays or Tuesdays, the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay … Continue reading →

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See it like a native

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

I often get asked advice on how to see New York City. Of course I always suggest the purchase of a good, old fashioned print travel guide book, and the usual websites, too. Recently, I’ve been recommending NYCgo.com which is … Continue reading →

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Nothing beats a good literary map

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Brooklyn Magazine recently published this wonderful literary map of NYC’s hippest borough highlighting books that represent the very diverse neighborhoods of my family’s ancestral homeland. Now they’ve followed-up with a neat map that pairs American states and representative book titles. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Maps | Tagged , , | 2 Comments