Category Archives: Uncategorized

What did time smell like?

Posted on July 16, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

“There was a smell of Time in the air tonight. He smiled and turned the fancy in his mind. There was a thought. What did time smell like? Like dust and clocks and people. And if you wondered what Time … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A Novel Library of America

Posted on June 16, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

1,001 Novels: A Library of America is a brilliant interactive literary map of the United States. The project maps more than 1,000 works of fiction and sets them based on the geographical “heart” of each story. 1,001 Novels: A Library … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

like a shadow or a friend

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

KINDNESS by Naomi Shihab Nye Before you know what kindness really is you must lose things, feel the future dissolve in a moment like salt in a weakened broth. What you held in your hand, what you counted and carefully … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged | Leave a comment

Stoicism is all the rage

Posted on February 26, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Permanent Link to this Comic: https://existentialcomics.com/comic/484 Support the comic on Patreon!    

Posted in Art, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Randomness Follows

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

This wild-looking mechanical contraption is a typewriter. It was designed in 1867 and then patented in 1870. For the time, the Malling Hansen Writing Ball was a technological marvel and years ahead of its time. The unique functionality of this … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Tech, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Mystery of the Big Book

Posted on December 30, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Over the years, the photograph above has appeared on numerous blogs and websites, usually captioned as “man with large book at Prague Castle, 1940s” or “c. 1940s: Man with books.” However, bibliophiles and antiquarians have long questioned the image’s description … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Books, Europe, History, Libraries, Museums, Photography, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

The Answer is Still 42

Posted on December 11, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Although the wildely popular comic sci-fi novel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was published in the UK in 1979, it wasn’t released in the colonies until 1980. This year, legions of fans in North America are celebrating the 42nd anniversary … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, History, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Direction of Travel

Posted on November 25, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

When I ran across Christian Nolle’s terrific periodical Directions of Travel I thought that some of you other travel and map geeks might need to know about the project. Nolle’s fascination with air travel and maps began when he was … Continue reading →

Posted in Air Travel, Europe, History, Maps, Public Transport, Tourism, Travel Writing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Book Tunneling

Posted on November 14, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

I recently stumbled on the interesting video below on the history of tunnel books. Over the years, I’ve owned and sold a number of travel related 19th century tunnel books and have long been fascinated by this blend of art … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Film, History, Libraries, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Taking Flight

Posted on November 3, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

One of the immense pleasures that the city of Philadelphia offers is its myriad of murals. Along with a prolific cadre of street artists, Philly is also home to the amazing Philadelphia Mural Arts Program which sponsors fantastic paintings all … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Uncategorized, USA | Tagged , , | Leave a comment