Category Archives: USA

“Trimalchio in West Egg.”

Posted on April 10, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

It seems a bit incredible that F. Scott Fitzgerald originally titled the great American novel “Trimalchio in West Egg.”But in the end he called it “The Great Gatsby” and it remains one of the 20th century’s most read and beloved … Continue reading →

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

A NYC Culinary Mystery

Posted on April 8, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

I recently discovered a tasty mystery in New York City’s East Village neighborhood. When you enter Surprise Scoop  it’s quickly obvious that this ice cream shop isn’t like the others. There are no employees in sight and no ice cream … Continue reading →

Posted in Restaurants, Tourism, USA | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Live from around the globe

Posted on April 6, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

TVgarden is an amazing website that allows you to tune in to live television broadcasts from around the world. There have been similar sites, but this one really works. However, be prepared to loose an afternoon or evening to fascinating … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, South America, Tech, USA | Tagged | 1 Comment

on tyranny

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

I know that I’ve posted about Timothy Snyder’s Twenty Lessons on Tyranny a number of times, but we are staring at the abyss in the United States and Democracy is on the verge of ruination. In this 10-minute video, John Lithgow reads … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Freedom of Speech, History, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Mapping Monday

Posted on March 24, 2025 by Brian D. Butler
Posted in Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, Maps, Middle East, USA | Tagged | 3 Comments

An Amusing Anecdote

Posted on March 23, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

 

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

Book store humor

Posted on March 22, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

A very nice, well-appointed lady spends about an hour browsing the stock, including the locked cases. After building a rather formidable stack of unrelated books worth over $3,500 (including some very scarce Mark Twain first editions), I couldn’t resist asking: … Continue reading →

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

How to act around books

Posted on March 20, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

 

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

“Tell all the truth but tell it slant”

Posted on March 12, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

“Tell all the truth but tell it slant” -Emily Dickinson  

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

One reader can make a difference

Posted on March 8, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

The Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction, now in its fourth year, is an annual $25,000 cash prize given to a writer for a single work of imaginative fiction. The award recognizes writers Ursula spoke of in her 2014 … Continue reading →

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