Author Archives: JMN

Unknown's avatar

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. I like to read and memorize poetry.

Upping the Steaks

Posted on March 28, 2020 by JMN

A streak of pluckiness, or at least a commitment to persist, as well as a capacity to think deeply and grow out of the shallows — these traits peek through David Chang’s glimpse into his personal tribulations and his sober … Continue reading →

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

The Ides of Texas Are Upon Ya

Posted on March 26, 2020 by JMN

[Dan] Patrick, who said he will turn 70 next week, said that he did not fear COVID-19, but feared that stay-at-home orders and economic upheaval would destroy the American way of life. No one reached out to me and said, … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Quotations | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

“Porous, Promiscuous Phenomena”

Posted on March 26, 2020 by JMN

Jorge Carrión’s article was translated by Erin Goodman, and appeared in the NYTimes on January 26, 2020, entitled “Rosalía and the Art of the Remix.” Rosalía is new to me, but personal and professional ties to Catalonia and Spain incline … Continue reading →

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

“Doesn’t Not” Don’t Mean “Yes”

Posted on March 25, 2020 by JMN

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has publicly corrected or qualified presidential assertions about the coronavirus threat on multiple occasions. Trump was asked why Fauci was absent from Monday’s lengthy press briefing. Trump … Continue reading →

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

Living in Interesting Times

Posted on March 24, 2020 by JMN

This essay by Ai Weiwei, published in the NYTimes on January 13, 2020, was translated by Perry Link from the Chinese. (“Capitalism and ‘Culturecide’,” NYTimes). I learn here that Ai Weiwei’s father, Ai Qing, was a poet who was banished … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Quotations | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Hugs, Not Slugs. Now Bugs!

Posted on March 24, 2020 by JMN

Hugging is the perfect symbol for Mr. López Obrador’s tropical populism. It portrays him as a warm man of the pueblo in contrast with the cold technocrats of what he calls “the mafia of power.” His slogan for trying to … Continue reading →

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

Calling Conservative Artists

Posted on March 23, 2020 by JMN

Piotr Bernatowicz is the new director of a leading Warsaw art museum, the Ujazdowski Castle Center for Contemporary Art. For three decades it has exhibited Poland’s leading experimental artists and hosted work by “international stars,” according to this article (Alex … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Quotations | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

“Painter of Disquiet”

Posted on March 23, 2020 by JMN

Roberta Smith remarks that by a certain point in the show “it becomes clear why [Félix] Vallotton is not considered a first-rate painter. Perhaps he was excessively skilled with too many options at his fingertips.” It struck me as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Quotations | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Knotty, Naughty “Not”

Posted on March 22, 2020 by JMN

Americans need leaders who rise to the occasion, not [my bolding] worry about their own pocketbooks. (The Editorial Board, “Did Richard Burr and Kelly Loeffler Profit From the Pandemic?” NYTimes, 3-20-20) I haven’t read this particular article, but my reflexive … Continue reading →

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

There Used to Always Be an England

Posted on March 19, 2020 by JMN

Beppe Severgnini reminisced in early January about what he and millions of Continental Europeans have cherished about the United Kingdom. Above all, we were mesmerized by that quaint country, where the citizens had pounds and not kilograms, restaurants served meat … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotations | Tagged , | Leave a comment