As a former travel guidebook author, I am biased in favor of old-school print travel guidebooks. Not that I am completely averse to digital travel literature; I use e-book guides too. But print guides are easier to highlight and annotate, and never run out of battery, need a wifi connection, or require an expensive international data plan to access. This little video from DK Eyewitness Travel books celebrates the many virtues of old-school travel guides.
Folks who know me will vouch for my life-long love of coffee. For the most part, I’m a coffee purist; I tend to stick with simple and direct caffeine delivery systems. Give me a doppio espresso, a Red-Eye, or just a cup of joe black and I’m good to go. Although when I’m in Greece I do love my daily frappé. The neat infographic below does a nice job demonstrating all of the ways that people complicate a cup of coffee around the world.
During the last few days, Jerusalem has once again been at the top of the world news. The clever short film below, which was inspired by a new exhibition on medieval manuscripts at Oxford’s Bodleian Library, reminds us that the city is never far from the news of the day.
During my adolescence, I was strongly influenced by reading Kurt Vonnegut’s brilliant novels. His thoroughly original mash-up of science fiction, satire, dark humor, and political commentary resonated with my angsty teen self. Over the years, I’ve collected and sold a number of Vonnegut first editions, but I haven’t seen many interesting limited edition versions of his fiction until I recently ran across this set from the Easton Press.
The impressive clothbound collection includes Slaughterhouse-Five, The Sirens of Titan, Cat’s Cradle, Breakfast of Champions, and Mother Night. A goldfoil stamped rendering of Vonnegut’s famous self-portrait adorns the spines of the dust jackets and each volume has original artwork by the painter Richard Sparks. The limited edition set is pricey, but Vonnegut fans and collectors may want to check it out here.
The Not Yorker is an unofficial, unaffiliated site that collects and curates rejected New Yorker magazine cover illustrations. The project is the work of three Brooklyn-based illustrators still aiming for their own covers.
What happens to public fountains during the winter? In many cities they are simply turned off until spring. But this year Philadelphia has come up with an imaginative way of using the fountains to brighten-up the dark months. Running from the end of November to March 18, 2018, the stunning “Winter Fountains” project transforms four historic sites on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway with dramatic video installations.
Created by multi-media artist Jennifer Steinkamp and sponsored by the Philadelphia Association for Public Art, the four installations incorporate large translucent domes. After dark, sixteen projectors transform each fountain into phantasmagorical displays of light, color, movement, and shapes.
The fountains are located at Aviator Park by the Franklin Institute, at 21st street by the Rodin Museum, at Park Tower Place, and near the Art Museum at the Spring Garden Triangle.
While you’re in town, be sure to visit the Winter Garden on Dilworth Plaza by City Hall and the Christmas Village at the newly renovated LOVE Park.
These fabulous letterpress prints made by printer Amos Kennedy would make great holiday gifts for the book lovers in your life. And 100% from the sale proceeds go to the Elmwood Park Library in Detroit. Each piece is hand-pressed and one-of-a-kind. Check it out.
“December is the toughest month of the year. Others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, October, August, and February.”
Mark Twain
Iceland is known around the globe for its spectacular natural wonders, ultra clean environment, dynamic music scene, and hot springs skinny-dipping, but most folks are unaware that it’s one of the most literate nations in the world.Each year, more than 95% of the adult population reports reading at least one book and more than 50% read at least 10 books. In fact, more than 10% of Icelanders claim to have written at least one book or periodical article.
So, it should come as little surprise to learn that Iceland kicks off the Christmas holiday gift-giving season with the annual Bokatidindi—a catalog of every new book published during the year in the country. The Icelandic Publishing Association even mails a free copy to every household in mid-November.
The Bokatidindi is the foundation the uniquely Icelandic holiday tradition of Jólabókaflóð—the Christmas Book Flood. Nearly every Icelandic family exchanges book gifts on Christmas and starts the holiday by reading their new books.
You can help this wonderful concept to spread to your own country. Just buy book gifts for everyone on your holiday list and request literary gifts for yourself. Before we know it, the entire world will be celebrating a Yule-time book flood.
image by Elsa Jenna
For more than a decade, Thomas Dambo has been building birdhouses from recycled wood and installing them around Copenhagen. His Happy City Birds project is designed to bring attention to urban tree loss and to create habitats for city birds. The 3,500+ colorful birdhouses can be found in parks, playgrounds, and on building facades around the city.
Travel Between The Pages 