Author Archives: JMN

About JMN

I live in Texas and devote much of my time to easel painting on an amateur basis. I stream a lot of music, mostly jazz, throughout the day, and watch Netflix and Prime Video for entertainment. I like to read and memorize poetry.

“Carnal Tapioca”

Posted on August 21, 2019

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 →

Posted in Quotations | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Monkey Say, Monkey Think

Posted on August 21, 2019

“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

Posted in Quotations | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Methanol Republic

Posted on August 21, 2019

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 →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Cedric Benson (1982-2019)

Posted on August 20, 2019

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 →

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

“Ida, Not Georgia”

Posted on August 18, 2019

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 →

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

“A Saved Man”

Posted on August 17, 2019

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 →

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

Four Rules

Posted on August 17, 2019

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 →

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