Tag Archives: California

All the painted ladies

Posted on November 17, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

It’s been a minute since I visited San Francisco, but like ever other tourist I made a pilgrimage to see the famous row of “painted ladies” at Alamo Square Park. Architectural Digest produced the fascinating video (below) about these gems. … Continue reading →

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Small is beautiful (bookshop version)

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I’ve visited bookstores all over the world, including some really, really small shops. Probably the tiniest of all was Twizel Bookshop in the little New Zealand mountain town of the same name. Here in North America, the cozy Poet’s Corner … Continue reading →

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A Long Goodbye

Posted on August 4, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

There have been numerous editions of the classic Raymond Chandler noir detective novel The Long Goodbye since its initial publication in 1953. But to my knowledge there hasn’t been a fully illustrated version until now. The upcoming publication was created for Chinese … Continue reading →

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Will the museum deserve an Oscar

Posted on March 18, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Film lovers won’t be able to visit in-person until the doors open to the public on  September 30, 2021, but new the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures  programming will soon be available online. The pre-opening program includes a screening of … Continue reading →

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Calm Amid the Kelp

Posted on January 24, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

One of the highlights of my first trip to California many years ago was spending time around the Monterey Bay. There are almost limitless things to do in the area, but one of the most memorable attractions is the fabulous … Continue reading →

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wave down to future generations

Posted on July 28, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

“Photograph of a Gathering of People Waving” by Clarence Major based on an old photograph bought in a shop at Half Moon Bay, summer, 1999 No sound, the whole thing. Unknown folk. People waving from a hillside of ripple grass … Continue reading →

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Word on the Street: San Diego

Posted on May 5, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

h/t Thomas Paine  

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21st Century Libraries

Posted on April 13, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Librarians from the historic California State Library in Sacramento created the cartoon-style infographic below to celebrate National Library week and to explore the many roles that libraries can play in the 21st century. Established in 1850, the California State Library … Continue reading →

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Another Reason To Heart SF

Posted on October 28, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Last week, eleven independent bookstores in San Francisco received a surprising gift—a no strings attached cash grant from the city. San Francisco city government, in partnership with the nonprofit Working Solutions, awarded a total of $103,000 to fund “revitalization” of … Continue reading →

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When is a book art?

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

H/t to Bonnie Kuster Butler for this post. When is a book art ? A current exhibition at LA’s Getty Research Institute explores the many ways in which artists create objects that straddle the worlds of books and art.  The … Continue reading →

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