Category Archives: Writing

The Invention of Fantasy

Posted on October 10, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

The Man Who Invented Fantasy All those wizards, ogres, and barely-clad elf queens in the bookstore? You have Lester del Rey to thank. by Dan Sinykin Lester del Rey wore 1950s-style horn-rimmed glasses, an unruly billy-goat beard, and his silver … Continue reading →

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thinking about burning the bookstore down

Posted on October 8, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

In the Bookstore By: Julia Vinograd I went down to the bookstore this evening and found myself in the poetry section. But for every thin book of poems there was a thick biography of the poet and an even thicker … Continue reading →

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Forthcoming memoir

Posted on October 7, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

 

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An Audacious Throwback

Posted on October 5, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I only gave up my print subscription to the New York Times last year replacing it with the newspaper’s excellent digital version. But I still miss that satisfying feel of a big, foldable broadside edition. Now the new County Highway, which … Continue reading →

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if on a winter’s night

Posted on October 3, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

As a life-long fan of Italo Calvino’s writing, I was very excited to discover this marvelous BBC audio adaptation of his post-modern classic If on a winter’s night a traveler .  Released On: 24 Sep 2023 Available for 22 days Relax. … Continue reading →

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Le Petit Prince

Posted on October 2, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I don’t think that I would be going out on a limb to speculate that almost every one reading this post has at one time read the iconic Antoine de Saint-Exupéry novel The Little Prince. In my case, I read … Continue reading →

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Freedom to Read

Posted on October 1, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I was recently asked by a TBTP follower from Europe if the issue of book banning in the United States was being overhyped in the press. Sadly, if anything the scourge of book bans, and even book burnings, is not … Continue reading →

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Let Freedom Read

Posted on September 27, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

The American Library Association has announced the theme for Banned Books Week 2023: “Let Freedom Read!” Banned Books Week will take place October 1 – 7, 2023. “As we’ve seen throughout National Library Week, as long as there are libraries, … Continue reading →

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Mainly Miscellany

Posted on September 25, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

You should check out Postcard Past: A site collecting contemporary photo recreations of scenes from old postcards, which neatly contrast the stylized presentation of the often-future-seeming architecture depicted in postcards of the past with the reality of today. To quote … Continue reading →

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A river of Portuguese red

Posted on September 21, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

While I was in Portugal earlier this month, I read a local news story about a tragic loss of thousands of liters of red wine due to a storage tank collapse. And in an odd coincidence, I just spotted a … Continue reading →

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