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.

Who wants to die a sad and broken person?

Posted on July 13, 2018 by JMN

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Who wants to die a sad and broken person like Melville — show of hands? One berates the ether doggedly with “this is me” effluvia. When, what, how much to reveal vexes continuously. Thrust, parry, withdraw, resurge, repeat. To trim … Continue reading →

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Variation on a theme — for the daughters

Posted on July 12, 2018 by JMN

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The egg came first. A hen is only an egg’s way of making another female. (Deference to Samuel Butler) (C) 2018 James Mansfield Nichols. All rights reserved.

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Heartsickness

Posted on July 11, 2018 by JMN

(Lizard on my patio, JMN, photo) In ‘09 I had congestive heart failure. Good medicine and doctoring fixed it. Over time my ejection fraction rebounded from fifteen (bad) to sixty (normal). Since ‘10 an appliance that looks like a Zippo … Continue reading →

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What is a Southern writer?

Posted on July 10, 2018 by JMN

(HJN Landscape, Oil on rawhide) “People can hardly help loving the hands that rocked their cradles or the landscapes that shaped their souls, but I doubt there’s a single writer in the South for whom life here isn’t a source … Continue reading →

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This just in!

Posted on July 10, 2018 by JMN

“In football, there’s a fine line between winning and losing. It’s football, and football is sometimes like that.” (Fernando Hierro, Spain’s coach, NYTimes)

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“Wanted Dead or Alive”

Posted on July 10, 2018 by JMN

Steve McQueen stares at the viewer from a sitting position in the lefthand space — steely eyes, cowboy hat. Two stubby rifles dominate the righthand space: “A sidearm like nothing any lawman or outlaw had carried before — The MARE’S … Continue reading →

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Directions

Posted on July 9, 2018 by JMN

<— Je Ne Sais Cove Brigand Dunes —> <— Grotto Blotto Dog Platitudes —> <— New Deli Donny Brook —> <— Post Hockish <— Ergo —> Propter Hockish—> <— Center For Customer Insights (New Haven, CT) Academy of Combative Warrior … Continue reading →

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Ouch!

Posted on July 9, 2018 by JMN

“I don’t like country music, but I don’t denigrate people who do. And for people who like it, ‘denigrate’ means ‘put down.’ ” (Bob Newhart) (Copyright 2018 James Mansfield Nichols. All rights reserved.)

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The Painted Word

Posted on July 8, 2018 by JMN

In my twenties I fantasized an artistic project called “The Painted Word” — standing language on its head by meticulously brushing it on canvas. (I didn’t know until later that Tom Wolfe had used the phrase for the title of … Continue reading →

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“They are female.”

Posted on July 8, 2018 by JMN

“Maybe our leaders, who seem so quick to threaten violence or shut down the government, should spend some time with dairy cows. They are ponderous ships of milk. There are infinite births to attend. They slow time. They are female.” … Continue reading →

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