Category Archives: Europe

Wild Beasts of Art

Posted on October 5, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

I don’t think that I really appreciated the work of the great French artist Henri Matisse until I saw a fabulous retrospective show at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.. After viewing the exhibition, I became a huge … Continue reading →

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Fatherlands

Posted on October 1, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

 

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It’s really all about mutual aid

Posted on September 27, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

It may seem to be a big leap from U.S. Presidential politics to a book published in 1902 by a Russian scientist and anarchist, but this week watching the electioneering I have been thinking about Peter Kropokin’s seminal work Mutual … Continue reading →

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Puffling

Posted on September 26, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Regular visitors to TBTP will be aware that I am enamored with all things Iceland. Of course that includes the unofficial symbol of the country the puffin. In coastal cities in Iceland, including on the Vestmannaeyjar islands, it’s common to … Continue reading →

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I met a traveller from an antique land

Posted on September 25, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Ozymandias, 2017 by Alasdair Gray (1934-2019)  

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Making of an Icon

Posted on September 23, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Kafka: Making of an Icon is an exhibition marking the 100th anniversary of Franz Kafka’s death and celebrating not only Kafka’s achievements and creativity, but also his continuing inspiration for new literary, theatrical and artistic creations around the world. After … Continue reading →

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Magic Lantern

Posted on September 22, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

These days Prague is another victim of European over-tourism, but 30 years ago it still was a place of history and mystery. I recently saw the marvelous 1993 documentary below that has had me waxing nostalgic for the Prague that … Continue reading →

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Railway Parable

Posted on September 18, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Erich Kästner, Das Eisenbahngleichnis, 1931  

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Sharing is caring

Posted on September 6, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Have you ever wondered how those ubiquitous little black Moleskine notebooks got to be so popular ? Are you one of the many millions of devotees who carry one in your pocket or backpack at all times ? Well click … Continue reading →

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No fierljeppen for me

Posted on September 5, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

I was lucky enough to spent quite a bit of time in the Netherlands and I constantly marveled at how they managed to engineer a nation with so much of the country below sea level. Many of their farmers needed a … Continue reading →

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