Monthly Archives: June 2018

“What Philip Roth Didn’t Know…”

Posted on June 13, 2018 by JMN

Dara Horn states that Roth’s caricature of women reveals a lack of empathy, and deems it a literary failure, made more egregious by a lack of curiosity. (“What Philip Roth Didn’t Know About Women Could Fill a Book,” NYTimes) Definitions … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged | Leave a comment

Fun With Glue Gun

Posted on June 13, 2018 by JMN

[From the Manual] “Prohibited in flammable and explosive occasions.” “Do not touch the glue gun and glue bar when working.” “It is forbidden to pull the glue strip out of the tail of the glue gun.” “The glue gun is … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotations | Tagged | Leave a comment

On Marriage

Posted on June 13, 2018 by JMN

“The crucial step… is the raw and willful decision each partner must make just to recommit. The relationship is strife-ridden. Every fiber of your body says to retreat to the safety of your foxhole. But you have to go against … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotations | Tagged | Leave a comment

Tweet in haste, repent at leisure

Posted on June 13, 2018 by JMN

Once I excerpted the following from a New Yorker article and flagged it in a tweet: “The Odd Future charge has been led by…Tyler Okonma, known as Tyler, the Creator… Hodgy Beats, a diminutive, quick-tempered rapper,… is half of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Quotations | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Bewusstseinslage

Posted on June 10, 2018 by JMN

A contestant in the final stages of the 2018 Scripps National Spelling Bee competition failed to spell “bewusstseinslage” correctly. I don’t know whether to bawl or weep. That a young citizen of these United States speaking this American language should … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged | Leave a comment

“Life is complicated…”

Posted on June 9, 2018 by JMN

“Life is complicated. It’s filled with nuance. It’s unsatisfying. If I believe in anything, it is doubt.” (Anthony Bourdain)

More Galleries | Tagged , | Leave a comment

LinkedOut

Posted on June 8, 2018 by JMN

I’d like to record how fruitless my multi-year meander in LinkedIn has proven. Full disclosure: I never sought employment on LinkedIn. My work history doesn’t define me — I’ve disliked most of my jobs. Why trot out a lackluster record … Continue reading →

More Galleries | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Alien Parade

Posted on June 6, 2018 by JMN

The largest exoplanet ever found Is quite a marvel where marvels abound. Theory holds it cannot be, they say, But sometimes theory doesn’t have its way. It is a type of planet they call puffy That orbits its parent in … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Goodbye, Philip Roth

Posted on June 6, 2018 by JMN

“Looking back, in an afterword written on the 25th anniversary publication of “Portnoy’s Complaint,” Roth wrote, ‘I wished to dazzle in my very own way and to dazzle myself no less than anyone else.’ He recalled admonishing himself, ‘All you … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Quotations | Tagged | 2 Comments

Drawling

Posted on June 4, 2018 by JMN

One time I helped tend bar at a gala hosted by my father in the historic building that tripled as his studio, gallery, and dwelling. A man I knew by reputation, but not personally, appeared at my countertop and asked … Continue reading →

More Galleries | Tagged | Leave a comment