Category Archives: Europe

The night is darkening round me

Posted on March 28, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

The night is darkening round me, The wild winds coldly blow; But a tyrant spell has bound me, And I cannot, cannot go. The giant trees are bending Their bare boughs weighed with snow; The storm is fast descending, And … Continue reading →

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Free Books in Translation

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Archipelago Books is giving away 30 e-books (in ePub or PDF format) from their back catalogue. Most are translated works of fiction, though you’ll also find poetry, such as by the Cuban Dulce María Loynaz (tr. James O’Connor), and the hard-to-categorize Novices of Sias … Continue reading →

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Hermitage

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I was very fortunate to spend an entire day in the world renowned Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, Russia a few years ago. It’s almost overwhelming to try and take in the immense institution in one visit. To save our … Continue reading →

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Library of Exile

Posted on March 20, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I first discovered the ceramic artist and writer Edmund de Waal through his best-selling book The Hare with the Amber Eyes. If you are not familiar with the memoir, it’s a compelling read that encompasses not only de Waal’s family history, … Continue reading →

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Bookmobile with an Italian accent

Posted on March 19, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

UNA NUOVA INIZIATIVA PER LA DIFFUSIONE DEL LIBRO proclaims the title at the top of the photo, or, in English, A New Initiative for Distributing Books. The early 1920s bookmobile was actually publisher’s method of selling books to the public, not … Continue reading →

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As above, So below

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Dutch artist and printmaker Jaco Putker uses both traditional and digital methods to produce his surreal images. He usually works with photopolymer, or solar plate, etching. This allows him to create photo-realistic depictions. His finished pieces are at once amusing … Continue reading →

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Unreal City

Posted on March 15, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I rarely post music videos, but I’m a fan of M.Ward, Clémence Poésy (ever since her role as Elise Wasserman in “The Tunnel”), and of course Paris. Filmed on the streets of Paris, the Beatrice Pegard-directed video for M. Ward’s … Continue reading →

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Free Books (really)

Posted on March 13, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

h/t to Stanislav and Milen for the extensive links FAMOUS AUTHORS Classic Bookshelf: This site has put classic novels online, from Charles Dickens to Charlotte Bronte. The Online Books Page: The University of Pennsylvania hosts this book search and database. … Continue reading →

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Finding refuge in books

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

ECHO (Education.Community.Hope.Opportunity) is an organisation dedicated to fostering community and education initiatives in Greek refugee camps. The ECHO Refugee Library is their flagship project. They hope to transform the sites in which they work from places of stagnancy and waiting, … Continue reading →

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Book Face

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I never seem to tire of the many iterations of the “bookface” project. You probably have  seen versions produced by bored bookshop staff across Europe. Or, perhaps you have stumbles upon  #BookfaceFriday, or simply #Bookface, a meme in which you replace … Continue reading →

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