Category Archives: Europe

An Honor Without Irony

Posted on June 24, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Last week, an outdoor sculpture honoring the iconic American author J.D. Salinger was dedicated on a hillside near his family’s ancestral home in Lithuania. The artwork celebrates the writer’s most acclaimed novel The Catcher in the Rye. Ironically, Salinger’s 1951 bildungsroman … Continue reading →

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Bookseller’s Lament

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

As a bookseller and collector, I occasionally lament the sale of a book. Sometimes it’s because I undervalued a title, but more often it’s nostalgia for the missing volume from my shelves. The other day I stumbled on a reference … Continue reading →

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Have you or a loved one been affected by persuasive cartography

Posted on June 18, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Although I am one of those odd people who actually took geography courses at university, Persuasive Cartography is a term I only recently encountered. It usually refers to propaganda art that uses cartography to make a point. An amazing collection … Continue reading →

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Drive Time Radio

Posted on June 16, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Drive and Listen is a terrific mashup of city driving videos with the same city’s local radio stations. Pick a city and cruise the streets to tunes, news and talk that you can’t hear at home. Each time you select … Continue reading →

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but whenever Monday comes…

Posted on June 15, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Julio Cortàzar h/t Anisa Makhoul LydiaDavis Driving in Iceland is not for the fainthearted. Route 1 north of Hofn in southeastern Iceland passing Eystrahorn Mountain. Charles Bukowski    

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Just One of the Reasons We Love Iceland

Posted on June 13, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

According to the 2020 Global Peace Index, Iceland is the most peaceful nation on the planet. Since 2008, the Institute for Economics and Peace has ranked Iceland first. This year, it is followed by New Zealand,  Austria, Portugal and Denmark on the … Continue reading →

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How Dickensian

Posted on June 11, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

A big thanks and a tip of the hat to TBTP reader Lucy from the UK for sending me the marvelous Dickens cartoon (below) by the great Tom Gauld. If you follow this humble blog, you will be aware that … Continue reading →

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“From these garish lights I vanish now for evermore…”

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Yesterday marked the 150th anniversary of the death of Charles Dickens. Among the commemorations, there was this stunning sound and light installation which was projected onto Westminster Abbey’s iconic West Towers last weekend. The projection was created by light and … Continue reading →

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Beautiful Amsterdam

Posted on June 6, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Over the years I have spent more time in Amsterdam than any other city outside of the United States. It was one of the first European cities that I visited and captured my imagination from the very first time that … Continue reading →

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More Whipt Syllabub

Posted on June 1, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue Anon [Francis Grose] London Printed for S Hooper 1785 First Edition Francis Grose’s ‘Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue’ was first published in 1785, and is a dictionary of slang words. Grose was … Continue reading →

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