Category Archives: Europe

Art and History Are Everywhere In Berlin

Posted on November 19, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Deutsche Bahn, the German national railway network, commissioned artist and illustrator Christoph Niemann to create a pair of forty meter-long tile murals for a pedestrian tunnel at the Berlin Wannsee train station. Working with 10×10 cm tiles, Niemann designed two … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Europe, History, Museums, Public Transport | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Do you believe in collaborative creation

Posted on November 13, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Inspired by the popular National Novel Writing Month project — which has aspiring writers around the word producing a 50,000 word manuscript in the month of November — Boook.Land is one of the most engaging and original digital writing schemes in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Tech, Writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Cats on the Page

Posted on November 11, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Later this month, the British Library in London will launch a new exhibition celebrating fictional felines. “Cats on the Page” will open on November 23 in the main entrance hall and run through March 17, 2019. The free show was … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Libraries, Museums, Tourism | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Summer in Iceland

Posted on November 2, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Each year, Ólafur Már Björnsson produces a video compilation based on his summer travels and hikes around his native Iceland. His photography covers some areas rarely seen by tourists and only accessible to serious backcountry hikers. This year’s video already has … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Film, Photography, Tourism | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Bram Stoker: Library Miscreant

Posted on November 1, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

I have been a fan of Bram Stoker’s creepy classic Dracula ever since my first reading as a child. Here in Philadelphia, we are fortunate to have a fascinating collection of Stoker’s notes for the book at the wonderful Rosenbach Museum and … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, History, Libraries, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

William S. Burroughs gets spooky

Posted on October 31, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

The Witches or Witchcraft Through the Ages, or Häxan, is a Swedish-Danish film that is a curious and groundbreaking mix of documentary and silent horror cinema, written and directed by Benjamin Christensen. Christensen’s vision was unique, basing his film on non-fiction works, mainly the Malleus … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Film, History, movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Bram Stoker’s Dublin

Posted on October 27, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

The last weekend in October has become the best time to visit Dublin each year since the advent of the Bram Stoker Festival and Halloween Parade seven years ago. The festivities always include a spectacular costumed parade, theatrical performances, musical … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, Film, Libraries, Museums, Music, Theater, Tourism, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

There be monsters

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Just in time for Halloween, the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library in Toronto has opened De Monstris, an exhibition exploring the long cultural tradition of frightening monsters that inflamed imaginations and triggered irrational fears throughout history. De Monstris examines scary illustrations and writings from … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Canada, Europe, History, Libraries, Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Bookstore Tourism: London

Posted on October 17, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

When I first discovered London’s iconic Stanfords in 1986, Britain’s largest travel bookstore was already 133 years old. Located in a beautiful turn-of-the-century building on Long Acre in the heart of Covent Garden since 1901, the shop has one of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Books, Bookstore Tourism, Europe, Maps, Tourism, Travel Writing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Don’t let the bastards cheer you up

Posted on October 15, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

I never tire of London-based artist Harland Miller’s brilliant send-ups of iconic Penguin book covers. His faux vintage covers are always on point.

Posted in Art, Books, Europe | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment