Category Archives: Writing

A Hunger Artist

Posted on July 3, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

In honor of Franz Kafka’s 140th birthday, here’s his popular short story “A Hunger Artist.” Published just two years before Kafka’s death from tuberculosis in 1924, the story is often viewed as a reflection of his illness and his struggles … Continue reading →

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Summer Sunday Sundries

Posted on July 2, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

“In its June 26, 1948, issue, The New Yorker published Shirley Jackson’s unsettling story “The Lottery,” and it’s not an overstatement to say that readers freaked out. They wrote letters in droves, angry or unsure about what this slowly unfolding … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Asia, Books, Europe, History, Museums, Restaurants, Tourism, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

A problem involving Don Quixote

Posted on July 1, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

“A Problem” by Jorge Luis Borges Translated by Andrew Hurley Let us imagine that a piece of paper with a text in Arabic on it is discovered in Toledo, and that paleographers declare the text to have been written by … Continue reading →

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Books on Maps

Posted on June 28, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

If you stop by TBTP regularly, you probably know how I feel about maps and literary websites that manage to combine books AND maps. Books On Maps: is a new project that is mashing up cartography and novels. You don’t … Continue reading →

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Rules for Writers

Posted on June 27, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Raymond Chandler’s 10 rules for writing a detective novel: It must be credibly motivated, both as to the original situation and the dénouement. It must be technically sound as to the methods of murder and detection. It must be realistic … Continue reading →

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The water was black and warm

Posted on June 21, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Much has been written about the great American novelist Cormac McCarthy since his recent death. I have long admired his writing, but often found his books to be grim. Ironically, my favorite work is The Road, which is about a dark a … Continue reading →

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To My Enemies

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Watching the nonstop maddening show of U.S. politics and culture these days, I have been reminded of the poem “To My Enemies” by the under-appreciated American poet Bert Meyers. Meyers was born in Los Angeles on March 20, 1928. The son of … Continue reading →

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Microfiction

Posted on June 11, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

“A Continuity of Parks” by Julio Cortázar translated by Paul Blackburn He had begun to read the novel a few days before. He had put it down because of some urgent business conferences, opened it again on his way back … Continue reading →

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Not only Caturday, but Caturday nonetheless

Posted on June 10, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

“I used to think I was the strangest person in the world, but then I thought there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways … Continue reading →

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Writing is the greatest of human inventions

Posted on June 9, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I recently stumble upon is wonderful short video below of the late Carl Sagan talking about books. It’s worth a minute of your time. Please note, if the video fails to play in your browser click here.

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