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.

“Two Different Paths into the Distance”

Posted on October 21, 2018 by JMN

Challenged to create work that could travel back to the States, Twombly created a series of wall hangings made from brightly colored fabrics. None of these works survive today, but in pictures of them, it is clear how Twombly is … Continue reading →

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Hooray! An Adjective with All the Vowels!

Posted on October 21, 2018 by JMN

“… A darkened Rousseauian worldview.” (David Brooks, “The Rich White Civil War,” NYTimes, 10-16-18)

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RIP, My Dear. Sadness, Please Get Gone.

Posted on October 21, 2018 by JMN

On day 3 of Bess’s absence I wake up with and go to sleep with a dogged downness that I want to surmount as soon as possible. Wine numbs but doesn’t fix it. I hate grieving because of how my … Continue reading →

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Bess Has Died Suddenly on 10-19-18

Posted on October 20, 2018 by JMN

Out of the blue, she foamed and slobbered at the mouth. She then threw up copiously and walked around groaning in obvious distress, apparently abdominal, for several minutes. I realized after several moments that she had defecated nearby. I followed … Continue reading →

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“Woman From Bahia”

Posted on October 17, 2018 by JMN

A large 19th century painting titled “Woman From Bahia” stands in contrast to all this. We don’t know who the subject is, or who painted her, or when (the guess is around 1850). But, wearing white gloves, a midnight-blue gown, … Continue reading →

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Distance from Marfa

Posted on October 17, 2018 by JMN

That Marfa is becoming a destination might have been amusing to the artist [Donald Judd]. “When Judd lived in Marfa, he already thought it was too crowded,” [Ann Temkin, chief curator of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern … Continue reading →

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A “four-button mongoose”?

Posted on October 17, 2018 by JMN

The Times described Mr. Bruce in 1959 as “a four-button mongoose” imbued with a streak of moral indignation. “The kind of comedy I do isn’t, like, going to change the world,” Mr. Bruce said in the interview. “But certain areas … Continue reading →

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1987: Andrew

Posted on October 17, 2018 by JMN

[Dear Mother,] E*** was with Andrew at Albertson’s the other day and told me that every time they announced some instore special over the intercom Andrew would holler, “OK!” She looked at him and said, “They’re not talking to you, … Continue reading →

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1987: High-Tech Verse and Allergies

Posted on October 17, 2018 by JMN

[Dear Mother,] Charles B*** asked me to co-edit an anthology of high-tech verse which he has been commissioned to do by his publisher…. I’ve thought fairly seriously about it, but am thinking of passing it up in favor of things … Continue reading →

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Hilma af Klint (1862-1944)

Posted on October 17, 2018 by JMN

The idea that a woman got there first, and with such style, is beyond thrilling. Yes, I know art is not a competition; every artist’s “there” is a different place. Abstraction is a pre-existing condition, found in all cultures. But … Continue reading →

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