Category Archives: History

Help Save a Paris Landmark

Posted on November 2, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I have had the pleasure of visiting Paris many times over the last 40 years. And ever time that I’m in Paris the iconic bookstore Shakespeare and Company is one of my first stops. Even if you have never been … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, Europe, History, Libraries | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Welcome to Planet Word

Posted on October 26, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Last week a long-awaited new museum opened in Washington, D.C. that will be a must-see destination for readers and language lovers. Planet Word is promoted as “a revolutionary museum dedicated to the power, beauty, and fun of language and to … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Books, History, Libraries, Museums, Tourism, USA, Writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Writers Not Writing

Posted on October 23, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

 

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It is a river, this language

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I can recall my amazement in reading Chaucer in high school English and marveling at the extent that the English language had changed over time. The short video below by A.Z. Foreman is an enlightening marvelous journey through thirteen centuries … Continue reading →

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Total Eclipse of Rationality

Posted on September 28, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

American Fascism Now (Rotland Press) offers a chilling look at the United States in 2020, with powerful linocut prints by Sue Coe and text by historian Stephen F. Eisenman. The frightening book chronicles a country on the verge of a … Continue reading →

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The Parable of the Author

Posted on September 7, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I am not a big re-reader of books, but at the start of the pandemic I picked-up a copy of Octavia Butler’s The Parable of the Sower. If you are not familiar with the novel, it was published in 1993, but was … Continue reading →

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Welkom in Amsterdam 1922

Posted on August 9, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Utilizing archival footage from Amsterdam’s EYE Museum and artificial intelligence,  digital artist Denis Shiryaev  created the amazing video below based on early 1920s filming in Amsterdam. The colorized images offer a rare glimpse into the city’s life before it became … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Film, History, Tech, Tourism | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Copenhagen and Coffee

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Like many folks, I’ve had to forego any travel plans this summer and kickback at home for the duration of the pandemic. That doesn’t mean that I’ve not indulged my travel dreams on lockdown. If you visit TBTP on a … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Europe, History, Restaurants, Tourism | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

NYC: Word on the Street

Posted on July 26, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

The NYC-based street artist known as “Almost Over Keep Smiling” gave a minor update to  slightly reinterpret this 19th century warning poster telling anybody who was Black in a “free” state like New York to stay away from the police … Continue reading →

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Books and Maps

Posted on July 12, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

A big thanks to TBTP follower Maria W. for sending me the link to the wonderful video below from the British Library Learning series on Vimeo. What could be better than antiquarian books and maps together.

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Film, History, Libraries, Maps | Tagged , , | 1 Comment