Category Archives: USA

America 2018

Posted on December 27, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

The Land of the Living Dead: a Narrative of the Perilous Sojourn therein of George Cowper, Mariner, in the Year 1835. Neal Fyne. London: Henry J. Drane, n.d. [1897]. Illustrations by E. A. Holloway. First edition. Fantastic adventure fiction. Castaways … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, USA | Tagged | 1 Comment

Intermission

Posted on December 23, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Edward Hopper, Intermission (1963)  

Posted in Art, Museums, USA | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Bad Cartography

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

I love a good map, but a bad map, or a just plain silly map, can be hilarious. Terrible Maps is an anonymous online project that has been sharing some truly wacky and ridiculous examples for nearly three years. Here are a … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Europe, Maps, South America, Tourism, USA | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Bookstore Tourism Paradox

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

I’ve seen copies of this sign for years, but just discovered where the bookshop is located. The poster has advertised this generous offer for more than three decades in Wheeling, West Virginia. Paradox Bookstore, which is owned and managed by … Continue reading →

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

Every Minute Counts

Posted on December 18, 2018 by Brian D. Butler
Posted in Books, Libraries, USA, Writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

NYC’s Subways has gone to the Dogs

Posted on December 14, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

New York City public transit riders often complain the the subway system has gone to the dogs, but in the case of the newly renovated 23rd Street MTA station it’s literally true. Who couldn’t love the adorable glass mosaic series … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Public Transport, USA | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Why Vonnegut Matters

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Like many Kurt Vonnegut fans I became a devoted reader during my early adolescence. If memory serves, the first of his novels that I read was Sirens of Titan, but it could have just as well been Cat’s Cradle. Of course they weren’t teaching … Continue reading →

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

Take Your Child To A Bookstore

Posted on December 1, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

The ninth annual Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day, a project developed to “instill a love of bookstores in children so that they will value and support this most precious of resources as they go on to enter and create … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, Canada, USA, Writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

NYC: Word on (under) the street

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Brian D. Butler
Posted in Architecture, Art, Public Transport, USA | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Native American Heritage Month

Posted on November 25, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

November is Native American Heritage Month in the United States. These illustrations are from the Model First Reader by Stephen Return Riggs published in 1875. The rare volume is a primer for lessons in English and the Santee Dadota dialect. You can … Continue reading →

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