Category Archives: Writing

Islands in your pocket

Posted on April 24, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

In the late 15th and mid-16th centuries, publishers in Venice produced a genre of small books called isolarii . The original publications can be thought of as an encyclopedia of islands containing maps along with text descriptions of significant history, … Continue reading →

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Print vs Ebooks

Posted on April 22, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

A new paper released last week by the Pew Research Center found that print books continue to be American adults’ preferred reading format, though digital formats continue to make inroads. According to a survey of 8,046 U.S. adults conducted last year from … Continue reading →

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the world is exceedingly complex for the simplicity of men.

Posted on April 20, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

“Inferno I, 32” — Jorge Luis Borges In the following short story, originally published in 1955, Borges remarks on the use of a leopard in the first canto of The Divine Comedy. What follows is, characteristic of Borges’ short prose, … Continue reading →

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Only wait a while and listen.

Posted on March 9, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

I recently had a sad conversation with my sister about someone who we both loved who took his own life many years ago. It reminded me of this moving poem by Pulitzer-winning poet Galway Kinnell  addressed to a student of his … Continue reading →

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Five Centuries of Vulgarity

Posted on March 1, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

Green’s Dictionary of Slang has become available as a free website, giving you access to an even more updated version of the dictionary. Collectively, the website lets you trace the development of slang over the past 500 years. The website allows lookups … Continue reading →

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My Magnum Opus

Posted on February 22, 2026 by Brian D. Butler
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“Practice resurrection. Part of who you are is who you will be.”

Posted on February 18, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front by Wendell Berry Love the quick profit, the annual raise, vacation with pay. Want more of everything ready-made. Be afraid to know your neighbors and to die. And you will have a window in … Continue reading →

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I go unrecognized in paradise

Posted on February 8, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

Dean Young — “Scherzo”

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Once Upon a Time

Posted on February 6, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

 

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Why Are Americans Afraid of Dragons?

Posted on January 11, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

“In wondering why Americans are afraid of dragons, I began to realize that a great many Americans are not only anti-fantasy, but altogether anti-fiction. We tend, as a people, to look upon all works of the imagination either as suspect … Continue reading →

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