Category Archives: Freedom of Speech

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 →

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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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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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The America I Love Still Exists

Posted on January 8, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

“And on the subject of burning books: I want to congratulate librarians, not famous for their physical strength or their powerful political connections or their great wealth, who, all over this country, have staunchly resisted anti-democratic bullies who have tried … Continue reading →

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the books were waiting

Posted on November 17, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

 

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Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt

Posted on September 27, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library opened in a donated storefront in the author’s hometown of Indianapolis in 2011. Over the years, the institution’s success as a tourist attraction and literary pilgrimage site made it obvious that the museum couldn’t … Continue reading →

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Forbidden Reads

Posted on September 25, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I bet you thought that Banned Books Week would slip by without a mention from me; no chance of that. This week, September 22 through 28 is once again set aside to recognize the threat of censorship to any society. … Continue reading →

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A is for Anarchism

Posted on September 20, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I recently had the chance to finally watch the New American Masters PBS documentary on the late science fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin. For the most part, it was a good exploration of her life and career. Maybe if … Continue reading →

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