Tag Archives: George Orwell

Lessons from the 20th Century

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Following the horrific events of last week, I am not alone in reflecting back on the cautionary warnings of Yale historian Timothy Snyder. His short, but powerful book On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century published just days after the … Continue reading →

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Where We Are Now

Posted on June 26, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

 

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All animals are equal…

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I recently ran across the wonderful 50th anniversary edition of the first U.S. publication of George Orwell’s Animal House. Issued in 1995, Animal House: A Fairy Story features 100 mindblowing illustrations by the inimitable Ralph Steadman. Along with the addition of the brilliant illustrations, … Continue reading →

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Literary Infographics

Posted on March 30, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Back in the olden days when I was a student some of my peers would avoid assignments by reading Cliff Notes rather than full books. If you’re not familiar, Cliff Notes were commercially produced summaries of full length books that … Continue reading →

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Britain In Pictures

Posted on January 13, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

The books  in the 1940s Britain in Pictures series were designed to boost morale during World War II, but perhaps also record the British way of life in case the Germans completed their European campaign by successfully crossing the English Channel. The … Continue reading →

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Isn’t all of Britain fictional

Posted on January 10, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Fake Britain is a marvelous map to more than 400 fictional locations in England, Scotland and Wales featuring made-up towns, villages, castles, islands, and more. Created by Matt Brown and Rhys B. Davis, the map draws from films, television and books. … Continue reading →

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There was only one catch

Posted on June 27, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

California-based, award-winning photographer David Fokos has an ongoing exhibition at San Diego International Airport called The Book Pages Project. This terrific show is an appreciation of “real” books in their actual physical form—paper pages, fonts, ink, layout—and the powerful contribution books have … Continue reading →

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It’s Still 1984

Posted on June 10, 2017 by Brian D. Butler
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It’s Always 1984 Somewhere

Posted on June 9, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

This week marks the 68th anniversary of the publication of George Orwell’s iconic dystopian novel 1984. In the extraordinary political environment that we now find ourselves, with Orwellian Newspeak the policy of the U.S. government and “alternative facts” flouted by an illegitimate regime, the … Continue reading →

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Covering Nineteen Eighty-Four

Posted on February 4, 2017 by Brian D. Butler
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