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.

I’m Like: Whoa

Posted on October 25, 2019 by JMN

All bets are off when a subject finds the interviewer’s question “very interesting.” There’s a likelihood that the answer will go its own way. I find that to be the case in this exchange between Jori Finkel, a contributor to … Continue reading →

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

Tofu vs. Jerky

Posted on October 23, 2019 by JMN

Cheryl Thompson has a salutary take on bromides about the “strength of diversity” that are jawboned from various bully pulpits. Diversity is also tough, challenging and sometimes outright frustrating because it requires listening, being open to what you don’t know, … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged , | 3 Comments

The Power of Reading Aloud

Posted on October 22, 2019 by JMN

One of the virtues of reading a narrative aloud, to children or indeed to anyone, is the way that vocalizing a story clarifies its power, especially in the quavering passion that you try to keep from your voice (because you … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotations | Tagged | 2 Comments

Drawing in Jail

Posted on October 22, 2019 by JMN

Hilarie M. Sheets writes an article about how people have coped with incarceration by drawing (“For the Incarcerated, Drawing Is a Lifeline,” NYTimes, 9-20-19). What interests me on the margins of this interesting article is the innocent tell favoring depiction … Continue reading →

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Fellow Feeling

Posted on October 22, 2019 by JMN

So how did the daughter of an American stockbroker come to meet a surly, bourgeois French artist? Degas became aware of Cassatt, known for her sensitive portrayals of women and children, in 1874, historians said. He was strolling through the … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotations | Tagged , | 2 Comments

“Life Is a Racket” (Nick Tosches)

Posted on October 22, 2019 by JMN

“The things I wanted to be when I was a kid were an archaeologist, because of dinosaur bones; a garbage man, because they got to ride on the side of the trucks; and a writer,” he told The Times. “If … Continue reading →

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Denatured Pronoun Sighting

Posted on October 22, 2019 by JMN

The NYTimes is walking the walk in the matter of language degendering. I confess to having initially groped for a plural antecedent when I encountered the following subheading: “Nayland Blake’s one-bedroom apartment is filled from floor to ceiling with personal … Continue reading →

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The Queen’s Speech

Posted on October 20, 2019 by JMN

(Megan Specia and Allison McCann, “A Guide to the Queen’s Speech: Crown Jewels, Black Rod and a Mace,” 10-14-19) (c) 2019 JMN

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I Feel It 100% in My Bones

Posted on October 20, 2019 by JMN

The story that keeps swirling around this mediocre painting whose whereabouts is now unknown is a punch line that keeps on giving. New York art historian and dealer Robert B. Simon bought the “Salvator Mundi” from a New Orleans auction … Continue reading →

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Clearing Up His Confusion

Posted on October 20, 2019 by JMN

The following are LeBron James’s words. They show why some professional athletes may not be the best role models for young people. “I believe [Daryl Morey] wasn’t educated on the situation at hand, and he spoke. So many people could … Continue reading →

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