Category Archives: Writing

When in the course of human events…

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

The Declaration of Independence in American H.L. Mencken 1921 WHEN THINGS get so balled up that the people of a country got to cut loose from some other country, and go it on their own hook, without asking no permission … Continue reading →

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Future Library

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Future Library is a public art project by Scottish artist Katie Paterson, which will slowly unfold over the next 100 years in the city of Oslo, Norway.A thousand trees have been planted in Normarka, a forest just outside Oslo. It … Continue reading →

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Murakami, more is not enough

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Suzanne Dean, the Creative Director of Random House in London, designed the new book jacket for Haruki Murakami’s new novel Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, which includes a sheet of stickers so readers can redesign their own … Continue reading →

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About Murakami

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

New York psychologist, writer and animator Ilana Simons created this terrific short animated film called “About Haruki Murakami” to celebrate everyone’s favorite Japanese writer. Well, he’s my favorite, any way.

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Call Me Ishmael

Posted on June 14, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Call Me Ishmael is an intriguing new way to share your love of books and reading. The concept behind the project is quite simple: Step # Call Ishmael’s phone number 774.325.0503 . Step #2 Listen to a brief message. Step … Continue reading →

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Times New Roman

Posted on June 8, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

If you have little interest in typography, then you can safely skip this engaging film about the world’s most popular typeface. But if you pay attention to what you see on the printed page (or on your screens) then this … Continue reading →

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Love Your Local Indies

Posted on June 7, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

The New Yorker magazine’s “Page Turner” blog recently asked cartoonist Bob Eckstein to travel around New York City and draw his favorite bookstores. Here’s a sample of his first installment from the series of annotated cartoons. It’s bittersweet to see … Continue reading →

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Don’t Quote Me

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

 

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It’s A Crime

Posted on June 1, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Each June, International Crime Month is a celebration of international crime fiction. Four of America’s most prominent independent publishers—Grove Atlantic, Akashic Books, Melville House, and Europa Editions—have joined forces this time to bring this compelling genre to a wider North American … Continue reading →

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There’s No Mystique

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

There is, I hope, a thesis in my work: we may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. That sounds goody-two-shoes, I know, but I believe that a diamond is the result of extreme pressure and time. Less … Continue reading →

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