Category Archives: Writing

Classically Alice

Posted on October 18, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

This is one of the first non-Tenniel illustrated Alices issued when British copyright expired in 1907. Pictured in a white pinafore decorated with pale pink roses and grey tights, Rackham’s Alice appears both thinner and taller than Tenniel’s heroine. Muted colors, … Continue reading →

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American Voyageur

Posted on October 11, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Few American writers have achieved the cultural impact of Herman Melville, author of the eternal classic Moby-Dick, yet he died unrecognized by his contemporaries for his genius. To commemorate the 200th anniversary of Melville’s birth, Philadelphia’s Rosenbach Museum and Library has … Continue reading →

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If on a winter’s night a traveler

Posted on October 6, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I have been an evangelist for the novels of the Italian author Italo Calvino since my university days. Sadly, he is underappreciated and seldom read here in North America. Over the years, I have had many copies of his better … Continue reading →

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Library of Congress Crime Spree

Posted on September 29, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

  The U.S. Library of Congress has recently announced a new collaboration with Poison Pen Press to launch the Library of Congress Crime Classics Series. Beginning this Spring, classic American crime novels will see new life with the reissue of fiction … Continue reading →

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No One Reads The Prequel

Posted on September 28, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

 

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Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt

Posted on September 27, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library opened in a donated storefront in the author’s hometown of Indianapolis in 2011. Over the years, the institution’s success as a tourist attraction and literary pilgrimage site made it obvious that the museum couldn’t … Continue reading →

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Forbidden Reads

Posted on September 25, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I bet you thought that Banned Books Week would slip by without a mention from me; no chance of that. This week, September 22 through 28 is once again set aside to recognize the threat of censorship to any society. … Continue reading →

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Except that the goal falls short of the reach

Posted on September 24, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I may have mentioned once or twice that I am a huge fan of the late poet and singer Leonard Cohen. Those of us who value his work were greatly saddened by his passing. Last week the first cut from … Continue reading →

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A is for Anarchism

Posted on September 20, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I recently had the chance to finally watch the New American Masters PBS documentary on the late science fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin. For the most part, it was a good exploration of her life and career. Maybe if … Continue reading →

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Another Metamorphosis

Posted on September 19, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I am embarrassed to admit that I had never heard of Argentine artist and book illustrator Luis Scafati until recently. His take on Franz Kafka’s classic The Metamorphosis is creepy, but spot on. I have since discovered that Scafati has illustrated many … Continue reading →

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