Category Archives: Writing

beneath the stains of time

Posted on December 3, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

There is often a very real chain linking American literature and music. Sometimes it can be heavyhanded and intrusive, at other times it is truly organic and compelling. I was recently reading Louise Erdrich’s new novel The Sentence which, among other things, … Continue reading →

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The History of Four-Footed Beasts and Serpents

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

English author  and naturalist Edward Topsell (1572-1625) first published his book The History of Four-footed Beasts in 1607, followed by The History of Serpents in 1608. Topsell borrowed extensively from Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner’s Historia animalium (“History of Animals”), a five-volume set … Continue reading →

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Better than the real thing

Posted on November 28, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Regular visitors to Travel Between The Pages know that here at TBTP World HQ we are inordinately fond of silly re-imagined book cover art. There’s something about old pulp fiction paperbacks that calls for satirical reworking. Surprisingly, these clever fake … Continue reading →

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Tis the Dickensian Season

Posted on November 27, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

h/t Tom Gauld  

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Thanksgiving : The Real Deal

Posted on November 25, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Today is the much loved and misunderstood holiday of Thanksgiving here in the former colonies. I can testify that the U.S. school systems almost always get it wrong when it comes to educating children about the historical roots of the … Continue reading →

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there is nothing stable under heaven

Posted on November 24, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

James Baldwin : “The states of birth, suffering, love and death, are extreme states: extreme, universal, and inescapable. We all know this, but we would rather not know it. The artist is present to correct the delusions to which we … Continue reading →

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Don’t Fight The Winter

Posted on November 22, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

“Plants and animals don’t fight the winter; they don’t pretend it’s not happening and attempt to carry on living the same lives that they lived in the summer. They prepare. They adapt. They perform extraordinary acts of metamorphosis to get … Continue reading →

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Book Burning USA

Posted on November 18, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

So here we are well into the 21st century and the reactionary book burners are at it again. Just this week, some self-appointed guardians of American Aryan youth in the state of Virginia have called for removing books from schools … Continue reading →

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Neglected Books

Posted on November 13, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I was recently reminded to visit the wonderful website Neglected Books which reviews and writes up books which are, as the name says, neglected. It features authors who have fallen out of fashion, obscure imprints, anything that’s a bit musty … Continue reading →

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Black Voices Matter

Posted on November 8, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Singer/songwriter/performance artist and actress Solange recently announced via her Saint Heron foundation that she would use the organization’s website to host a free digital library of rare works by Black writers and artists. The Saint Heron Community Library includes “stories … Continue reading →

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