Category Archives: USA

Discarded Books

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

André Kertész, Discarded Books, New York City, 1974  

Posted in Books, Photography, USA | Tagged , | Leave a comment

More Bookstore Mapping

Posted on July 7, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Indie bookstores in Montana have collaborated to develop the first-ever Montana Bookstore Trail. The mapping project was coordinated by Rachel Elliott-Burg, owner of Reading Leaves in Townsend, and designed with Elk River Books in Livingston, the map features 21 independent bookstores across the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, Maps, Tourism, USA | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

A Writer’s Tale

Posted on July 6, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Way back in 1961 a 14 year-old writer had the audacity to submit an unsolicited short story to Spaceman Magazine. That bold young author was undeterred by the rejection of his work and kept at it. Stephen King has gone … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, USA, Writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Summer Sunday Sundries

Posted on July 2, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

“In its June 26, 1948, issue, The New Yorker published Shirley Jackson’s unsettling story “The Lottery,” and it’s not an overstatement to say that readers freaked out. They wrote letters in droves, angry or unsure about what this slowly unfolding … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Asia, Books, Europe, History, Museums, Restaurants, Tourism, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Down a research rabbit hole

Posted on June 29, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

The free new research tool from Yale University called Lux is a fascinating opportunity to be led down a rabbit hole of infinite connections for any subject of interest.  The digital tool works by building relationships between objects users look … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Books, History, Libraries, Museums, Tech, USA | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Rules for Writers

Posted on June 27, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Raymond Chandler’s 10 rules for writing a detective novel: It must be credibly motivated, both as to the original situation and the dénouement. It must be technically sound as to the methods of murder and detection. It must be realistic … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, USA, Writing | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Bookstore Mapping

Posted on June 26, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

The Pandemic had a devastating effect on the book trade in Philadelphia. Over the last two years, the city has lost some of its oldest and most beloved bookshops. I was heartened however to discover that the city’s surviving booksellers … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, Maps, Tourism, USA | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The water was black and warm

Posted on June 21, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Much has been written about the great American novelist Cormac McCarthy since his recent death. I have long admired his writing, but often found his books to be grim. Ironically, my favorite work is The Road, which is about a dark a … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, USA, Writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

To My Enemies

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Watching the nonstop maddening show of U.S. politics and culture these days, I have been reminded of the poem “To My Enemies” by the under-appreciated American poet Bert Meyers. Meyers was born in Los Angeles on March 20, 1928. The son of … Continue reading →

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

Freedom of the Press

Posted on June 5, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Every day I seem to be reading another story about the erosion of press freedoms here in the United States and around the world. The insidious takeover of print and online news outlets by rightwing corporate capitalist enterprises is just … Continue reading →

Posted in USA, Writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment