Monthly Archives: August 2019

The Road Ahead

Posted on August 22, 2019 by JMN

At age 16 Megan, a Texas native, recorded “The Road Ahead,” a CD of twelve sweet country standards. In “Waltz Across Texas” she is joined in a duet by her dad David. The CD was the fruit of their travels … Continue reading →

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“Carnal Tapioca”

Posted on August 21, 2019 by JMN

Recently in the NYTimes Roberta Smith wrote a spirited appraisal of the exhibition of Renoir’s late nudes at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA. Peter Schjeldahl weighs in on the topic in the latest New Yorker. It’s fascinating how … Continue reading →

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Monkey Say, Monkey Think

Posted on August 21, 2019 by JMN

“The slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.” (George Orwell, “Politics and the English Language”) (Quoted by David Streitfeld, “Paging Big Brother: In Amazon’s Bookstore, Orwell Gets a Rewrite,” NYTimes, 8-19-19) (c) 2019 JMN

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Methanol Republic

Posted on August 21, 2019 by JMN

A Nobel laureate-in-waiting will spirit the drinkability out of antifreeze. Enlightened governments will protect their populations. Unicorns will pasture in Central America. These potables are flagged as suspect in this article: Guaro Montano, Guaro Gran Apache, Aguardiente Estrella, Aguardiente Barón … Continue reading →

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Cedric Benson (1982-2019)

Posted on August 20, 2019 by JMN

The death of a man in his young prime, and of his passenger on the motorcycle, is an unmixed tragedy. I have nothing but respect and condolence for all who mourn the cruel loss of these two lives. What strikes … Continue reading →

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“Ida, Not Georgia”

Posted on August 18, 2019 by JMN

Roberta Smith writes of an exhibition at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts entitled “Ida O’Keeffe: Escaping Georgia’s Shadow.” I don’t warm immediately to the work of Ida Ten Eyck O’Keefe (1889-1961), but I’m glad it has survived against … Continue reading →

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“A Saved Man”

Posted on August 17, 2019 by JMN

I admire Renoir for the valor with which he carried on his work into old age, arthritic hands and all. I don’t care much for his nudes. Nor am I as fond of Boucher as he was, but I get … Continue reading →

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Four Rules

Posted on August 17, 2019 by JMN

Krugman is a Nobel laureate with a knack for being right and wry. I value him for his thinking and for his rhetoric. Last year, after an earlier stock market swoon brought on by headlines about the U.S.-China trade conflict, … Continue reading →

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“Amped Up to Grotesqueness”

Posted on August 17, 2019 by JMN

Gina Beavers’s work hits a sweet spot for me. It’s impossible not to bumble where the talent has gone already, but I intend to explore serial, inflated, anatomical detail myself. Her idiosyncratic aesthetic… [offers] canny statements on contemporary bodies, beauty … Continue reading →

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Help Drill

Posted on August 17, 2019 by JMN

Help fix inaccurate voter rolls Help address shortages of voting machines Help address shortages of provisional ballots Help formalize the rules around counting absentee ballots Help increase participation in the 2020 census. Help increase youth turnout Source: Melanye Price, “Stacey … Continue reading →

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