Little Failure

Posted on December 19, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

I generally ignore video book trailers, and I’m not much of a memoir reader, but I’m a big fan of Gary Shteyngart‘s novels ( and his wacky book trailers) so I watched this one. The amusing, self-deprecating trailer for Shteyngart’s new memoir, Little Failure, which is out next month in the U.S., also “stars’ the ubiquitous James Franco, Jonathan Franzen and the wonderful Rashida Jones. If you’re not into memoirs, and you haven’t read them yet, pick-up one of Shtenygart’s hilarious novels.

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The Great War

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

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I recently had a number of conversations with young friends and family members about their difficulties with their history classes in high schools and at university. As a former history teacher, I found the lack of connection with the subject of history lamentable. While it can be a struggle to make the subject compelling and to engage students, I know that teachers can do more make history appealing.

A good example of a project that has tremendous potential to intrigue students is the new graphic history book The Great War by Joe Sacco. The Malta-born, Portland-based comic book artist, who began his career as a journalist and war correspondent, has created a monumental, wordless depiction of one of the most infamous days of World War I. Sacco’s history of the first day of the Battle of the Somme is an amazing 24-foot black and white record of one of the 20th century’s seminal events. The painstakingly detailed story of the brutality of war in comic format is disarming, but potentially makes the history of WW I more accessible to young students.

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What’s On Your Wall

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

MAINThis time of the year many of us receive corporate calendars as holiday “gifts”. Most are pretty humdrum and unexceptional, but this year the uber hip U.S. hotel chain The Standard has managed to shake things up a bit with an unorthodox take on the holiday gift calendar. Working with whimsical French photographer Thomas Mailaender, the hotel’s 2014 calendar is based on guest complaints, letters and requests during the last year. This is one corporate calendar that will be getting some wall space this year.

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I Want a MultiPass

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

The MultiPass—named after a personal identification device seen in the sci-fi flick The Fifth Element—is a digital card that will allow users to pay for virtually any type of transportation throughout the UK.

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Like a digital wallet for travelers, the MultiPass will allow users seamless access to travel by bus, rail, subway, tram, boat and even air. The all-in-one card, which is under development with government funding, is set to be piloted in 2014 in Glasgow and London. The MultiPass will likely use e-ink display for scanned barcodes and will automatically calculate the lowest possible fare.

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The Little Prince : A New York Story

Posted on December 15, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

80885f For seven decades booklovers around the world have been drawn to Antoine de Sainte-Exupéry’s parable of an interstellar traveler, The Little Prince, who comes to Earth in search of friendship, compassion, and understanding. Few readers, however, realize that the iconic tale was written, illustrated and first published in New York City during World War II.

The upcoming exhibition, “The Little Prince: A New York Story”, at NYC’s fantastic Morgan Library and Museum explores the origins of the little book that has captivated tens of millions of readers around the world. The exhibition will feature the handwritten draft manuscript, the author’s original drawings and watercolors, personal letters, artifacts, photographs and rare print editions.

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It will also explore Sainte-Exupéry’s tragic life story, especially his two years in exile in New York City after the fall of France to Germany. The most poignant artifact in the exhibition may be a silver ID bracelet that the writer was wearing when his plane went down in the Mediterranean in July, 1944. Incredibly, the bracelet was recovered near Marseilles in 1998.

The exhibition will run from January 24 to April 27, 2014.

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Don’t Drink the Water

Posted on December 14, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

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Amsterdam is commemorating the 400th anniversary of its iconic canals by selling souvenir sets of Amsterdam Canal Aqua. The four bottle set, which retails for €50, is filled from the Singel, Prinsengracht, Herengracht and Keizersgracht. Each bottle is labeled with a brief history of the canal and a QR-code which shows the precise spot where the water was retrieved. Obviously, the bottled water is for decorative purposes only and should not be drunk—duh.

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Fun With Dones

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

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San Franciscan Nate Bolt must have some influential friends at the New York Public Library. Either that, or he’s a real fast talker, because someone allowed him to fly a drone equipped with a GoPro camera around the iconic Stephen A. Schwarzman Building one recent night. Thoughtfully waiting until the library closed, the drone was flown on visits to Astor hall, the Map Division and the world-renowned Rose Main Reading Room.

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Don’t Be Rude

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

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On my recent visits to Paris, I noticed that the Metro was more crowded than ever.But it seemed that Parisians were relatively civil compared to subway riders in NYC, or even London. So, I was a bit surprised to see a new “rule book” for travelers published by RATP, the company that runs the Metro system.

The handbook, titled “An Etiquette manual for the Modern Traveler”, was created based on complaints from Metro riders. passengers submitted thousands of suggestions, which were pared down to 12 rules for riders.

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Anyone who has traveled the Metro during warm weather months will appreciate rule #3: “On really hot days, even an emperor penguin needs to keep his arms close to his body, so grab the bottom of the post and not the top.”

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The rule book, which is available on line here, is a follow-up to a poster campaign launched this summer by RAPT aimed at schooling Metro riders on civil behavior.

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Mark My Words

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

For some bibliophiles the humble bookmark is an essential reading companion. I have some fantastic examples—nearly all gifts of course—but as often as not I resort to bits of paper, folded post-it notes or random ephemera to mark my place.

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But even negligent reader like me wouldn’t miss a chance to use these incredible bookmarks from Turkish illustrator and designer Ethem Onur Bilgiç. Created to celebrate and accompany iconic Penguin Classic editions, these canny bookmarks would charm any booklover—and never get separated from their matching titles either.

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All Aboard the Little Red Bus

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

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There’s never a dull moment when daredevils of Frenchies’ Flying Circus challenge all notions of what the circus can be. “From Spain to Scotland, Brussels to Brévent, traveling by air, land and sea, they hit the road tumbling, flying, gliding and sliding their way across Europe.”

Extreme filmmaker and photographer Seb Montaz documents the gravity-defying insanity of the fearless Frenchies in his wildly entertaining film “Petit Bus Rouge”. You too can experience a slice of the world of mad clowns, acrobats, highliners, and paragliders. And if you find that you crave more of their exhilarating shenanigans, visit their website and download the entire breathtaking film. But beware; it’s not for the fainthearted or acrophobic.

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