Category Archives: USA

On The Beach

Posted on August 16, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

I was surprised to stumble on the complete version of the Stanley Kramer film On The Beach posted on YouTube. The 1959 American post-apocalyptic science fiction drama had an enormous impact on me when I first saw the movie on television when … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, movies, USA | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

We are all wingnuts to somebody and other trivia

Posted on August 11, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Berkeley, CA now has a Wingnut Museum. “The wingnut was invented in the first half of the 19th century and quickly became an indispensable piece of hardware. It lets users fasten bolts by hand, without tools, using little wings jutting out … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

In my writing I am acting as a mapmaker

Posted on August 10, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

In my writing I am acting as a map maker, an explorer of psychic areas… a cosmonaut of inner space, and I see no point in exploring areas that have already been thoroughly surveyed. William S. Burroughs

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Books Can Set Us Free

Posted on August 4, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

American Booksellers for Free Expression has launched a campaign for Banned Books Week 2024 centered on the theme Liberate Banned Books (#SetBooksFree). “Resisting book bans is about liberation,” ABFE noted. “It’s about liberation for schools and libraries from the rash of book challenges … Continue reading →

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To leave the world a little better than you found it

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Paul Auster // “That’s all I’ve ever dreamed of… To make the world a better place. To bring some beauty to the drab humdrum corners of the soul. You can do it with a toaster, you can do it with … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, USA, Writing | Tagged , | 2 Comments

James Baldwin: Mountain to Fire

Posted on July 27, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

James Baldwin // “The world changes according to the way people see it, and if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way people look at reality, then you can change it.” To celebrate what would have been the 100th … Continue reading →

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the danger that carries us like a mother

Posted on July 24, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Alaska When I think about Alaska what comes to mind are glaciers, mountains, fjords, forests and snow, deserts not so much. But the other day I stumbled upon a story about the discovery of 10,000 year-old obsidian tools in an … Continue reading →

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Build Your Sci-Fi Reading List

Posted on July 21, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Adrienne Westenfeld at Esquire enumerates the 75 best sci-fi books of all time. While I might find fault with some of the choices, and could quibble about the omissions, all in all it’s quite an interesting list. To be fair, I’ve … Continue reading →

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Weeding out some stuff

Posted on July 17, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

“My relationship with cats has saved me from a deadly and pervasive ignorance. I prefer cats to people, for the most part. Most people aren’t cute at all, and if they are cute they very rapidly outgrow it.” William S. … Continue reading →

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How we live now

Posted on July 7, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

 

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