Category Archives: USA

The Allure of Old Books ( & maps )

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

The Peculiar Underworld of Rare-Book Thieves The Allure of the Map What is the oldest book in the world? The Library of Congress by the numbers. What happens when Oxford’s Bodleian Library and the Biblioteca Vaticana collude?

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, History, Libraries, Maps, Museums, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Craving Cartographic Clarity

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

designing metropolitan subway system maps to make them easily understood for both locals and visitors is a challenge for any graphic designer or cartographer. It’s equally challenging to create city transit maps that reflect a municipal identity. Zero Per Zero, … Continue reading →

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Books I Love

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Books I Love is a new social networking app for book lovers that allows readers to share their reading suggestions and critiques digitally with social contacts . The free iOS app lets users both send and receive book recommendations individually … Continue reading →

Posted in apps, Books, Tech, USA, Writing | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Creepy, Crawly Indeed

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

London-based book cover designer Jamie Keenan has created a terrific cover for a new paperback edition of Franz Kafka’s 1915 novella Metamorphosis. This version, based on a completely new translation by Susan Berofsky, has just been released by W W … Continue reading →

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On Such a Full Sea

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

My copy of author Chang-rae Lee’s new dystopian novel On Such a Full Sea came with the quaint, antiquated book jacket that you see above. Now I’m coveting the very cool limited edition 3D printed cover version (see below). Lee’s … Continue reading →

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The Burroughs Century

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

William S. Burroughs was an American author, painter, actor, Beat icon, and one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. To celebrate the anniversary of his 100th birthday ( February 5, 2014 ), his birthplace, Bloomington Indiana is … Continue reading →

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Last Photo

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

There’s something touching and heartwarming about Ivan Cash’s quirky video series called “Last Photo”. In this sporadic, ongoing project, the San Francisco-based artist, writer and idea man travels to various U.S. cities and asks random strangers to show him the … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, USA | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Walk This World

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Lotta Nieminen is a Helsinki-based artist, illustrator and graphic designer. Her witty and whimsical work has appeared in dozens of publications and advertisements. You may have seen some of her maps, such as the one she did of Paris for … Continue reading →

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They Heart NYC

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Growing up in the New York metropolitan area in a family composed of 100% native New Yorkers, I always expected everyone to love New York City. So, it was no shocker to find that a survey of travel journalists voted … Continue reading →

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Spend New Year’s Eve in Times Square

Posted on December 30, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

No matter where you are around the globe you can spend this New Year’s Eve in New York City. The free Times Square Official New Year’s Eve Ball App 2014 will allow you to follow the festivities, listen to the … Continue reading →

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