Category Archives: Books

Every October it becomes important, no, necessary

Posted on October 16, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Leaves by Lloyd Schwartz                          1 Every October it becomes important, no, necessary to see the leaves turning, to be surrounded by leaves turning; it’s not just the symbolism, … Continue reading →

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General Headquarters

Posted on October 14, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

When I first read about a lost board game called “General Headquarters” that was created by Kurt Vonnegut, I was certain that it was an elaborate internet hoax. But, apparently I was wrong. Vonnegut’s life was not without its ironies. … Continue reading →

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Obvious travel advice and more

Posted on October 13, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Obvious travel advice, including “Mindset matters more than where you go”, and “Don’t confuse scarcity with value. A really good afternoon in the park (a really good one) is maybe about as good as it gets.” I recently purchased what may be … Continue reading →

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Welcome Distractions

Posted on October 10, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

True book lovers will appreciate The Cari Vander Yacht illustrations of people distracted by reading that accompany the New Yorker‘s announcement of the 2024 National Book Awards longlists are really lovely. The animated versions on the site are fun too.  

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It’s getting to be Edgar Allan Poe season

Posted on October 7, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

This is The Bells and Other Poems by American writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) with illustrations by French-British illustrator Edmund Dulac (1882-1953). It was published by Hodder and Stoughton internationally circa 1912. Poe is best known for his Gothic short fiction and poetry while Dulac was … Continue reading →

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Nuts to novels

Posted on October 4, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

 

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Heroes & Villains/Heroes and Villains

Posted on October 3, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Heroes and Villains is set in a wild, post-apocalyptic world where folks are divided by a rigid social hierarchy —the Professors, the Barbarians, and the mutant Out People. Young Marianne of the Professor class is abducted by Barbarian Jewel and … Continue reading →

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Fatherlands

Posted on October 1, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

 

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Mapping the Bans

Posted on September 30, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

The onslaught of reactionary right wing book bans does not seem to be abating in the U.S.. This attack on freedom of expression is just one component of the political/cultural war raging in America. The American Library Association (ALA) reports that … Continue reading →

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“Amargura Para Tres Sonámbulos”

Posted on September 28, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

“Bitterness for Three Sleepwalkers” is a 1949 short story by the Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez. Published when he was just twenty-two years old, it is one of his earliest stories. “Bitterness for Three Sleepwalkers” by Gabriel García Márquez translated … Continue reading →

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