Category Archives: Writing

Play Literary Geography

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Created in 1933 by cartographer Paul M. Paine, The Booklovers Map of America Showing Certain Landmarks of Literary Geography is a charming guide to many of our favorite literary places. Working during the 1920s and 1930s, Paine designed or co-designed  … Continue reading →

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In March, Read Books You’ve Always Meant To Read

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

In 1935, President Roosevelt initiated the Works Progress Administration to both create jobs and to encourage community spirit. The much respected New Deal agency recruited millions of Americans from all walks of life and launched thousands of valuable public service … Continue reading →

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And the winner is…

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

First awarded in 1978 to the Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice, the Diagram Prize for the Oddest Book Title of the Year has released the shortlist for this year’s prize. The winner will be announced by … Continue reading →

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Mapping Moby Dick

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

The Voyage of the Pequod is one in a marvelous series of twelve literary maps based on American and British classics produced by the Harris-Seybold Company of Cleveland, Ohio between 1953 and 1964. The Map of Moby Dick was created … Continue reading →

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What’s a Rare Bookman

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

The exhibition “Ray Safford, Rare Bookman,”  which opened yesterday at the Grolier Club, New York City, offers a look into the famed New York firm of Charles Scribner’s Sons and the literary, publishing, and rare book worlds in turn-of-the-century New York. … Continue reading →

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Travel Guidebook News

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Well it was inevitable, the co-stars and co-creators of the sweet and wacky sketch comedy show Portlandia Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen have a book deal. Grand Central Publishing, a Hachette imprint, will release PORTLANDIA: A Guide for Visitors this … Continue reading →

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All the Books in the World

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

This heartwarming short story by Croatian author/illustrator Darko Macan and Tihomir Celanovic will bring a tear to the eye of any bibliophile. All the books in the world, except for one:

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Mapping Charles Dickens

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

If you follow this blog you are well aware of the varied events, exhibitions and publications celebrating what would have been Charles Dickens’ 200th birthday. You can discover many of the happenings surrounding the Bicentenary by visiting the Museum of … Continue reading →

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Monday Miscellany

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Brian D. Butler
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Where Dickens Lived

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Next week marks the official Charles Dickens Bicentennial, but commemorations have been taking place around the world for months. Now a new book by Cambridge University Professor Ruth Richardson has uncovered the real-life people who inspired Dickens’ iconic characters. Dickens … Continue reading →

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