Author Archives: JMN

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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.

Tenangos

Posted on December 19, 2019 by JMN

The tenangos, as the embroidered pieces are called, have evolved into richly detailed works reaching a worldwide market. Tenango embroidery is made by the indigenous Otomí community in the Mexican state of Hidalgo, whose main town is Tenango de Doria. … Continue reading →

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Kingsize Inference

Posted on December 15, 2019 by JMN

… Parties that either oppose Brexit or want to rethink Britain’s departure won 52 percent of the total votes cast, while the Conservatives and other pro-Brexit parties won only 46 percent. “Boris is part of the establishment,” [Thomas Wright, director … Continue reading →

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“Morally Murky World” Redux

Posted on December 12, 2019 by JMN

This morally murky world of spying is where le Carré continues to make his literary mark. John le Carré’s 25th novel, “Agent Running in the Field,” was published on October 22, 2019. It came two years after the 88-year-old author’s … Continue reading →

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A. O. Scott on Sontag

Posted on December 10, 2019 by JMN

The credit on this piece says “A.O. Scott is a chief film critic at The Times and the author of ‘Better Living Through Criticism: How to Think About Art, Pleasure, Beauty, and Truth.’” I read him frequently. (Strictly as a … Continue reading →

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Robert Johnson

Posted on December 10, 2019 by JMN

It was in… popular juke joints — segregated stores or private houses that doubled, after hours, as recreational places — that his now legendary music career began… The young musician had trained on a diddley bow — one or more … Continue reading →

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“Do Not Erase”

Posted on December 9, 2019 by JMN

For the last year, Jessica Wynne, a photographer and professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, has been photographing mathematicians’ blackboards, finding art in the swirling gangs of symbols sketched in the heat of imagination, argument and … Continue reading →

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Random Woke Affect & Filth Squirting

Posted on December 8, 2019 by JMN

A phrase from the past has pungent currency today. In 1896, an editorial in the Guardian mentioned a derogatory rumor about Lord Rosebery. Quoth the lord: “… The allusion in the Guardian… gave me the opportunity that I had long … Continue reading →

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Outrenoir: Ultra-Black

Posted on December 6, 2019 by JMN

French painter Pierre Soulages turns 100 this December, 2019. He is being accorded an exhibit at the Louvre. The only other painters given an exhibit there during their lifetimes were Picasso and Chagall. Since 1979, Soulages has worked exclusively in … Continue reading →

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Don’t Slip, Ma’am

Posted on December 3, 2019 by JMN

Americans watch the royals, rapt, for signs of slippage and failure, but also out of a kind of awe at how long they’ve sustained the illusion of honor. Yes, they’re mooches and hypocrites, but—… (Lili Loofbourow, “The Mesmerizing Disgrace of … Continue reading →

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‘Your Painting Is Your Best Friend’

Posted on December 2, 2019 by JMN

Cecily Brown, age 50, is the daughter of British writer Shena Mackay and David Sylvester, the art critic and curator. When Brown was 18 and struggling financially, the painter and sculptor Maggi Hambling let her paint in her garage. “Maggi … Continue reading →

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