Category Archives: Books

For in the beginning of literature there is myth

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

“Parable of Cervantes and the Quixote” by Jorge Luis Borges Translated by Andrew Hurley Weary of his land of Spain, an old soldier of the king’s army sought solace in the vast geographies of Ariosto, in that valley of the moon … Continue reading →

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The Parable of the Author

Posted on September 7, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I am not a big re-reader of books, but at the start of the pandemic I picked-up a copy of Octavia Butler’s The Parable of the Sower. If you are not familiar with the novel, it was published in 1993, but was … Continue reading →

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For Every Occasion

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

 

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We wear the mask

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

The Mask by Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr,, one of the leading letterpress printers, book artists, and papermakers working in the United States today, was printed at Bloomington, Indiana, in 2000. Nearly all of his work has an Afrocentric focus. Mask features the use … Continue reading →

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Yes, it can happen here

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

There are a few memorable books that I read during my childhood that had profound influence on my social and political consciousness. Sinclair Lewis’ novel It Can’t Happen Here was one that I’ve never forgotten. The book was published during the rise … Continue reading →

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Denial Is A Cliff

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Denial is a Cliff We Are Driven Over Joy Priest I want to believe Don West when he writes: none of mineever made their living by driving slaves. But in my grandfather’s mouth that utterance would’ve taken on another meaning: In … Continue reading →

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Birth of a Book

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

The engaging short film below offers a quick tour of the Smith –Settle printing and bookbinding company in Leeds, England, where books are still made the old-fashioned way. The film’s director Glen Milner covers each step in the process as … Continue reading →

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Poison Book Project

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Just in case you needed another reason to wash your hands these days… The bright emerald green cloth on the books (above & below) gets its intense color from copper acetoarsenite, more commonly known as arsenic. The inorganic pigment was … Continue reading →

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Sometimes You Just Have To Listen To Oprah

Posted on August 30, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I don’t think that I’ve ever actually read O, the Oprah Magazine, but I recently heard about an issue that featured “17 Black-owned bookstores in America that amplify the best in literature.” It also recommended the favorite bookshops of renowned … Continue reading →

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Do You Suffer From Reader’s Block

Posted on August 29, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

 

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