Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

Holiday Cheer

Posted on December 23, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Way back in 1993, the American Beat writer William S. Burroughs wrote and narrated a 21-minute claymation Christmas film which was produced by Francis Ford Coppola. And, as you can well imagine, it’s not your typical smarmy holiday flic. The … Continue reading →

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Snow Patrol

Posted on December 22, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

We finally had our first snowfall of the season, which reminded me of this series of snowy woodblock prints by Kawase Hasui. Maybe it had something to do with my purchase of some very expensive plane tickets for a Japan … Continue reading →

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Solstice Solace

Posted on December 21, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Here in North America we have such boring Winter Solstice traditions. However, in the Baltics many traditions survive from the ancient pagan celebrations of the winter solstice – the longest night of the year. Over the centuries these old pagan … Continue reading →

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True Meaning of Christmas

Posted on December 20, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

A touching short film starring Willian Shatner on the true meaning of Christmas.  

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Used Books and Stuff

Posted on December 19, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

I wish that I had this sign years ago when I was selling used books and collectibles at a flea market. While I’m not hawking any secondhand books here, I do have some stuff to share as usual. Overall European rail operators do … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Asia, Books, Bookstore Tourism, Europe, Public Transport | Tagged , | 2 Comments

A Never Ending Read

Posted on December 18, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Did you know that there’s a book no one will ever be able to finish reading in their lifetime, and it only has 10 pages? In 1960, the French writer Raymond Queneau introduced what is probably the world’s longest book. … Continue reading →

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God Bless Us, Everyone

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

On this date in 1843, Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol. Dickens wrote the novel after his first commercial failure. His previous novel, Martin Chuzzlewit had flopped, and he was suddenly strapped for cash. Martin Chuzzlewit had been satirical and pessimistic, and Dickens … Continue reading →

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A Wonderland for Christmas

Posted on December 16, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Just in time for Christmas, the NYRB Kids imprint has published a new edition of Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland illustrated by the Finnish author and artist Tove Jansson. Jansson is most famous for her Moomin books, which remain … Continue reading →

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Traveling Feline

Posted on December 15, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

The new online geo-game  Travel Cat  lets you pilot a plane as a cat. Flying a feline-piloted plane past the Eiffel Tower in Paris or around the Statue of Liberty in New York is as cute as it sounds. It … Continue reading →

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The dumbest souvenir of the year

Posted on December 14, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

My favorite place to chill out in Italy is the little town of Varenna on Lake Como. The only souvenirs that I have of my time there are a few photos and some very fond memories. But apparently the region … Continue reading →

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