Category Archives: Writing

What’s The Word

Posted on November 30, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

“Authentic” was chosen as the 2023 word of the year by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, coming in as the most-looked-up words in the dictionary’s 500,000 entries, the company said in a press release. “Although clearly a desirable quality, authentic is hard to define … Continue reading →

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A Boat

Posted on November 28, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

A Boat O beautiful was the werewolf in his evil forest. We took him to the carnival and he started crying when he saw the Ferris wheel. Electric green and red tears flowed down his furry cheeks. He looked like … Continue reading →

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Short Stories for Flyers

Posted on November 26, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I have run across some of the magical little short story dispensers over the years, but never one in an airport. For the last year, the Wichita, Kansas Public Library has installed one of their three machines in the Wichita … Continue reading →

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it’s our plain duty to escape

Posted on November 23, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

“Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisioned by the enemy, don’t we consider it his duty to escape?…If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we’re partisans of liberty, then it’s our … Continue reading →

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Life While You Wait

Posted on November 21, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

LIFE WHILE-YOU-WAIT by Wisława Szymborska Life While-You-Wait. Performance without rehearsal. Body without alterations. Head without premeditation. I know nothing of the role I play. I only know it’s mine. I can’t exchange it. I have to guess on the spot … Continue reading →

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Signs and Portents

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

 

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“In the End, Everything Gives”

Posted on November 14, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Earlier this year, the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. held a symposium titled “Poetry is a country.” The symposium brought poets together to premiere original poetry inspired by works in the Gallery’s collection—including U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, who wrote “In the … Continue reading →

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Wonder is where it starts

Posted on November 13, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

“Wonder is where it starts, and though wonder is also where it ends, this is no futile path. Whether admiring a patch of moss, a crystal, flower, or golden beetle, a sky full of clouds, a sea with the serene, … Continue reading →

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“The Fall”

Posted on November 8, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

“The Fall” by Russell Edson There was a man who found two leaves and came indoors holding them out saying to his parents that he was a tree. To which they said then go into the yard and do not … Continue reading →

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All Parts Matter

Posted on November 7, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I recently stumbled upon this excellent infographic from TheBookDesigner.com. As a collector and bookseller, it can be problematic at times describing the contents of a book. This is particularly the case when it comes to antiquarian titles. It’s essential to … Continue reading →

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