Category Archives: Freedom of Speech

Graphic Lessons on the Twentieth Century

Posted on October 20, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

When Dr. Timothy Snyder’s powerful book  On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century was published in 2017, I was a vocal evangelist for the book and its message. Now, the Yale history professor has released an updated and illustrated … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Freedom of Speech, History, USA, Writing | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Who doesn’t love the Wizard of Oz

Posted on October 2, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Here we are at the final day of the annual Banned Books Week and I just discovered that the beloved American children’s classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was a banned book. In fact, for decades it was one of the most … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Freedom of Speech, History, Libraries, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Banksy and Bob

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

By now, you have likely seen photos of Banksy ‘s latest work painted on the wall of a historic British prison. The elusive street artist officially owned the piece by posting some footage of Bob Ross narration from The Joy … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Freedom of Speech, History | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The feeling of communion in the libraries

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Most English speakers are familiar with the American author E.B. White from his contributions to the iconic writing guide The Elements of Style or through his classic children’s books such as Charlotte’s Web. During World War II, he received a request … Continue reading →

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Lessons from the 20th Century

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Following the horrific events of last week, I am not alone in reflecting back on the cautionary warnings of Yale historian Timothy Snyder. His short, but powerful book On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century published just days after the … Continue reading →

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Writers Against Authoritarians

Posted on November 3, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Writers Against Trump is an association of American authors and writers working together to oppose Mango Mussolini’s regime and re-election, and to encourage voter turnout. They are planning a series of post-election events on November 5, in partnership with several independent … Continue reading →

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Censorship Is A Dead End

Posted on September 23, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. Typically held during the last … Continue reading →

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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 →

Posted in Europe, Freedom of Speech, Tourism, Uncategorized, USA | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Vienna is like…

Posted on May 25, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I don’t know anything about the short film below titled  Vienna is like… except that it was directed by the award winning Argentine filmmaker Fernando Livschitz. But if love Wien half as much as I do, you will adore this very clever, … Continue reading →

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Harry Potter and The Handmaid’s Tale

Posted on May 3, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

The American Library Association recently released its annual list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books, included as part of its 2020 State of America’s Libraries report. This report offers an annual summary of library trends, statistics and issues affecting all … Continue reading →

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