Bookstore Tourism: Rocky Mountain High

Posted on June 7, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Sometimes when we find ourselves in a stunning new place, even the most ardent book lover may hesitate to visit the local bookstores. So, I was “lucky” to be in beautiful Telluride, Colorado on stormy, wet and chilly day recently. The nasty weather gave me a good excuse to stop by the town’s best bookshop for a browse.

Between The Covers has been a beloved institution in Telluride since 1974. Like a bibliophile’s Tardis, the little bookshop seems much bigger on the inside. Although the store is jam-packed with more than 10,000 titles, it seems more cozy than crowded. There’s even room for a lovely coffee bar in the rear of the store.

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Fear Eats The Soul

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

h/t Rirkrit Tiravnija

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Get Your Kicks On Route 66

Posted on June 5, 2018 by Brian D. Butler


I recently returned from an amazing road trip out West and of course began researching another driving trip immediately. In my slide down the rabbit hole of the internet, I stumbled upon this great project. America’s iconic highway Route 66 has been celebrated in song and literature for decades. Five years ago, Chicago-based photographer Natalie Slater created a fascinating project called “Mother Road Revisited” to explore the history of the legendary highway.

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Some Abridged Classics

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Ontario-based Canadian cartoonist and humorist John Atkinson can save you some serious reading time with his new book Abridged Classics. The hilarious book, out this month from HarperCollins, pokes fun at some of our most beloved novels. You can also check out more of Atkinson’s insightful work at his website for his ongoing cartoon Wrong Hands.

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Some Books Make Us Free

Posted on June 3, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not on Oz anymore

Posted on June 2, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

We all know L.Frank Baum from the famous Oz series, but did you know that he wrote other children’s fantasy novels? In 1903 he published The Enchanted Island of Yew, with wonderful illustrations by Fanny Cory. Along with imaginative book illustrations, Cory was also one of America’s first female cartoonists.

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Abridged Editions

Posted on June 1, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

h/t Tom Gauld

 

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Boarding Zone Nightmares

Posted on May 31, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

If you have done any flying recently, this very funny routine from comedian Iliza Shleshinger will certainly have resonance. Having recently succumbed to bribery to escape boarding zone purgatory, it certainly hit home for me.

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The Immigrants

Posted on May 30, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

The Immigrants: A Poem by Joe Napora  is based on a photograph of his immigrant father’s family. The chapbook was illustrated and letterpress printed in 1993 by Jim Lee for his Blue Moon Press in Glastonbury, Connecticut in an edition of 90 copies. The types are Jan Tschichold’s Sabon and 60 pt. condensed Roman. The papers are Rives Heavyweight and Niddegen, and the cover is handmade Canterbury Rag. The images were printed from reduction woodcuts, collaged plates, etched zinc plate, and a photo-engraving.

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H.G. Wells for kids

Posted on May 29, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

 When you hear the name “H.G. Wells” what comes to mind? Most likely science fiction, right? But did you know though that Wells also dabbled in children’s literature? The Adventures of Tommy, published in 1929, is a witty account of a rich man who falls of a cliff into the ocean. A boy named Tommy, fishing for sharks, saves him. The man offers Tommy $1000, but the boy declines because his mother warned him to never take money from strangers. On the hunt for a perfect thank you gift, the man finally decides on an elephant, which he proceeds to ship to Tommy on a train, and upon arrival the elephant is named Augustus.

And all that Tommy did with Augustus and all the Augustus did with Tommy will perhaps be written some day in another book.

 

h/t Pitt Rare Books

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