Travel Between The Pages

Fancy a Pint ?

Posted on February 19, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Way back in the 20^th century I spent considerable time visiting London. While I was there I occasionally popped into the random pub to quench my thirst with a pint or two of real ale. As a foreigner, it was sometimes difficult choosing a pub. Now London-based writer Ana Kinsella has created the perfect online game to help discover that special drinking establishment.

A Pint in London is a narrative-led, web-based game taking the player on a multiple choice trip around London in search of the perfect pint. It’s an uncomplicated game that’s simple to use, but fun and full of surprises. The game’s sometimes circular narrative offers multiple routes and options for players on their journeys around London in search of a good pint depending on mood, time of day, and geography.

You can play A Pint in London for free right here.

Posted in Europe, Restaurants, Tech, Tourism | Tagged Beer, London, pubs, real ale | 1 Comment

Don’t Judge Me

Posted on February 18, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged blogging, curation, memes | Leave a comment

To My Book

Posted on February 17, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Posted in Books, Writing | Tagged bookplates | Leave a comment

What’s so funny about peace and understanding

Posted on February 16, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

The 1964 World’s Fair was a two-year event centered on peace, understanding, and apparently, pop-up books. Released in 1963, Peter and Wendy See the New York World’s Fair shows two children, Peter and Wendy, – no relation to Peter Pan or Wendy Darling – enjoying the sights of the fair, including the famed Sinclair Oil “Dinoland” and the Unisphere, a sculpture that many will remember from the film Men in Black.

Mary Pillsbury, ill. Fred Ottenheimer, Peter and Wendy See the New York World’s Fair: In Pop-Up Action Pictures (New York: Spertus Publishing Company, [1963]

Posted in Architecture, Art, Books, History, USA | Tagged Children's literature, N.Y., pop-up books, Queens, World's Fair | 1 Comment

It’s A Small World

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

One of my most valued possessions during my childhood was a globe that sat on a table next to my bed. I spent countless hours traveling around the world on that globe imagining all of the places that I would visit. To this day, I am enamored of globes and maps. I can still spend hours daydreaming about my next travels.

So, it will come as no surprise that I swooned when I ran across the handmade globes by London-based cartographer/ceramicist Loraine Rutt. Her porcelain, ceramic, and wood creations are absolutely amazing. You can see more on her website The Little Globe Co, but here are some fine examples of her work.

Posted in Art, Maps, Tourism | Tagged Cartography, ceramics, Globes, Mapping | 2 Comments

Center for Fiction

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Awhile ago I shared a story about the imminent big move for New York City’s historic Center for Fiction from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Well, it has finally happened and the new site’s grand opening is on Tuesday February 19th. The inauguration of the new facility comes almost two centuries from the opening of the original Mercantile Library, which became the Center for Fiction in 2008.

The Center for Fiction is the only literary facility in the country devoted solely to the genre. Founded in 1820 as The New York Mercantile Library in lower Manhattan, the Center was originally a lending library for mercantile workers and grew to be one of America’s largest libraries during the 19th century. The Library moved multiple times over the years to different locations across Manhattan, with trustees building a new eight-story home for the facility at 17 East 47th Street in 1932. The Mercantile Library re-branded as The Center for Fiction in 2008 and later sold its building on East 47th Street.

Brooklyn’s new Center for Fiction supports emerging new writers, offers a large bookshop, a cafe, writers’ workshops, and much more. It’s open to the public, but members get access to reading rooms, a terrace, and writers’ studios. The Center promises to have an expanded online presence with videos, podcasts, virtual workshops, and original fiction content.

Posted in Architecture, Books, Bookstore Tourism, History, Libraries, USA, Writing | Tagged Brooklyn, Center for Fiction, New York City | Leave a comment

Everyone Loves A Trickster

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I recently spotted a fantastic new edition of Neil Gaiman’s madcap fantasy novel Anansi Boys issued by the folks at the Folio Society press. This exciting version is packed with dynamic illustrations by the American artist Francis Vallejo (see video below) and has a fascinating introduction by the Afrofuturist author Nalo Hopkinson. It’s a bit pricey, but well worth the investment for collectors and Neil Gaiman fans.

Posted in Art, Books, Writing | Tagged American Gods, Anansi Boys, Neil Gaiman, Science Fiction and Fantasy | 1 Comment

Never Enough

Posted on February 12, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism | Tagged Bibliomania, Book collecting, memes | Leave a comment

Misteriosi d’Italia

Posted on February 11, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I recently stumbled upon a marvelous new book of stories and illustrations exploring magical places, spooky folklore, mysterious legends, and unexplained phenomena in Italy. The Atlas of Mysterious Places of Italy was a joint project of illustrator Francesco Bongiorni and writer Massimo Polidoro. The book, published by Bompiani, contains more than 30 terrific original illustrations and maps. If you have spent any time traveling in Italy, I have no doubt that you discovered glimpses of old mysteries just behind the surfaces.