All That You Need To Know About Me

Posted on March 11, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

A longtime follower of Travel Between The Pages recently suggested that I should do a more personal post about me so that blog readers could get a better sense of who I am. When I thought about the prospect, I found myself a little queasy. Not that I have anything to hide; I’m not a Republican or anything disgusting like that. It’s more that these days my life is rather low key and boring. I spend my time buying and selling books, doing volunteer work in my community on food insecurity, attending resistance and political  events, and traveling when I can. So, I thought this gif from the hilarious Black Books exemplifies my normal day.

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Spy vs Spy

Posted on March 10, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

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Why Museums Matter

Posted on March 9, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Anyone who has ever traveled with me can attest to my museum obsession. I have been accused of being incapable of passing any museum without popping in for a visit. Of course these types of consuming passions all have an origin or inspiration. For me, it all began with my first visit to a serious museum When I was five years old, my Mother took me to the amazing Brooklyn Museum one Saturday morning and that was it; I was hooked for life. The wonderful video below from the PBS Digital Studios makes a stellar case for museums and why they still matter in this digital age.

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Embrace the Absurd

Posted on March 8, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Word on the Street is a public art collaboration between the artist collective House of Trees and Times Square Arts. The project evolved from an exhibition of protest banners and signs from last year’s national Women’s March for resistance. The new version of Word on the Street is now up around New York City’s world famous Times Square.

Each of the art works is first fabricated by a group of female refugees based in Texas and then photographed and printed for display on pole banners and trash bins. The “Spring Edition” of Word on the Street includes pieces from renowned writers and artists, including the inimitable Laurie Anderson, A.M. Homes, Tania Bruguera, and Naomi Shihab Nye.

“Thoughts, fleeting and fragmentary – slogans, catch-phrases and images give us pause, prompt us to think (differently), re-frame the moment. These banners raise questions, entertain, provoke, they ask those passing by to engage, to respond, to stay active.”

– A.M. Homes

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Reading 1932

Posted on March 7, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Pablo Picasso, La Lecture (The Reading) 1932 : The artist’s “muse” Marie-Therese Walter asleep in a chair with a book in her lap.

 

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There is no frigate like a book

Posted on March 6, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

There is no Frigate like a Book
To take us Lands away
Nor any Coursers like a Page
Of prancing Poetry –
This Traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of Toll –
How frugal is the Chariot
That bears the Human Soul –
Emily Dickinson
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It’s Good To Have Goals

Posted on March 5, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

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A Love Letter To New York

Posted on March 4, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Photographer Jonathan Higbee describes his ongoing street photography project Coincidences as a “love letter to New York City”. Higbee’s paean to his adopted hometown documents serendipitous moments of people on the streets of the city. Although the images sometimes seem posed or staged, the photos are all the result of random coincidences. You can follow the series on Higbee’s website and even buy prints.

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Be On The Watch

Posted on March 3, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

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Travelers, Bibliophiles and Digital Nomads Welcome

Posted on March 2, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

The Japanese bookstore and retail electronics chain Tsutaya recently opened an innovative concept store in Tokyo’s Shinjuku District. The six-story Tsutay Book Apartment includes co-working spaces, a bookshop, short stay accommodations, a Starbucks, quiet lounges, a sake bar, a convenience store, and a floor reserved for women with sleep and work spaces. The project is open 24 hours daily and rents rooms by the hour. Seems like an idea that would work for any city.

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