Category Archives: Books

The Poet Anticipated the Shortcomings of AI

Posted on July 9, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

The author Rainer Maria Rilke anticipated the inevitable shortcomings in the use of AI in the arts. He articulated the  essential conditions for creativity in his only novel, reflecting on what it takes to compose a great poem, but also … Continue reading →

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Reading machine

Posted on July 6, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Many, many years ago, I lived in the university town of  Gainesville, Florida. One of the many limitations of the small city was its not so great transportation services, including a sorry little airport. But now the Alachua County Regional … Continue reading →

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“There is a great deal of art to creating something that seems artless.”

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

There is writing which resembles the mosaics of glass you see in stained-glass windows. Such windows are beautiful in themselves and let in the light in colored fragments, but you can’t expect to see through them. In the same way, … Continue reading →

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More than a bookstore

Posted on July 2, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

In the heart of the Grandmont Rosedale neighborhood in Detroit, a failed bookstore is experiencing a welcome rebirth. Pages Bookshop, a valued independent bookstore, has found new life with the help of the Steen Foundation and a team of dedicated … Continue reading →

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Kyoto Retreat

Posted on June 29, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

During my all too brief week in Kyoto, I was unable to visit one of the city’s best kept secrets due to scheduling conflicts. If find yourself in the old imperial capital and you want to escape the frenetic pace … Continue reading →

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Bookmobiles are the best

Posted on June 28, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Open Books, a nonprofit bookstore and literacy organization in Chicago, Ill., has launched a bookmobile to bring free books to under-served communities. The Open Books Mobile made its debut on June 8 during the nonprofit’s annual Slide into Summer event, which … Continue reading →

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Library Spy

Posted on June 19, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

You don’t have to be a certified library geek to grok the fun little website called Library Spy. “This is a live, unfiltered look at what books are being checked out of the Seward Park library, a branch of the New … Continue reading →

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A Visit To Narnia (with guest star)

Posted on June 8, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

 

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Apologies in advance

Posted on June 6, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Apologies in advance for what may be a flurry of random posts about my recent experiences while traveling in Japan. I had so many wonderful experiences and also moments of recognition involving random things that I stumbled upon. In that … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Books, History, Tech, Tourism, Writing | 1 Comment

My First Bookstore

Posted on June 5, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

My First Bookstore by Edward Hirsch 1. Another Family My grandfather liked to hang around Moishe Cheshinsky’s bookstore on Lawrence Avenue. We were usually the only ones in the stacks. The back room was dusty. Most of the books were written … Continue reading →

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