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.

This just in!

Posted on June 19, 2018 by JMN

The restaurant in the UK House of Parliament has changed the name of a classic British dessert known as “spotted dick”; henceforth it will be called “spotted richard.” (Eater, June 18, 2018) Spotted dick was featured in the cozy supper … Continue reading →

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“The Rape of Dinah” (Genesis)

Posted on June 18, 2018 by JMN

“If I were preaching the story of Dinah, I might simply ask, “How do you think she felt?” It’s a question that some men have never considered. Though some abusers are beyond the reach of compassion, I have in my … Continue reading →

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“Morning Norther”

Posted on June 17, 2018 by JMN

The wind trees up, driving a pile of mischief, rousing leaf rabble and a scramble of squirrels. Pelting rain drop-kicks the sink window pane. Water’s kettled, coffee’s ground, but it’s a storm that’s brewing. God’s baby Jesus rattle claps, His … Continue reading →

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“What the poem says…”

Posted on June 17, 2018 by JMN

“What the poem says, it does.” (Alain Badiou) “I alone create a product that society does not want.” (Mallarmé) ” ‘Poets, Mallarmé wrote, must take back what is ours. They must sing of heroes with no name — the Figure … Continue reading →

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“For Her”

Posted on June 14, 2018 by JMN

(1) You are the Pole I turn around, My needle’s North, the shade I seek On a hot day. You are the ground I grow in, stamina I lack. Remember snow that caked the “Roost”? The box of bubbly you … Continue reading →

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“What Philip Roth Didn’t Know…”

Posted on June 13, 2018 by JMN

Dara Horn states that Roth’s caricature of women reveals a lack of empathy, and deems it a literary failure, made more egregious by a lack of curiosity. (“What Philip Roth Didn’t Know About Women Could Fill a Book,” NYTimes) Definitions … Continue reading →

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Fun With Glue Gun

Posted on June 13, 2018 by JMN

[From the Manual] “Prohibited in flammable and explosive occasions.” “Do not touch the glue gun and glue bar when working.” “It is forbidden to pull the glue strip out of the tail of the glue gun.” “The glue gun is … Continue reading →

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On Marriage

Posted on June 13, 2018 by JMN

“The crucial step… is the raw and willful decision each partner must make just to recommit. The relationship is strife-ridden. Every fiber of your body says to retreat to the safety of your foxhole. But you have to go against … Continue reading →

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Tweet in haste, repent at leisure

Posted on June 13, 2018 by JMN

Once I excerpted the following from a New Yorker article and flagged it in a tweet: “The Odd Future charge has been led by…Tyler Okonma, known as Tyler, the Creator… Hodgy Beats, a diminutive, quick-tempered rapper,… is half of the … Continue reading →

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Bewusstseinslage

Posted on June 10, 2018 by JMN

A contestant in the final stages of the 2018 Scripps National Spelling Bee competition failed to spell “bewusstseinslage” correctly. I don’t know whether to bawl or weep. That a young citizen of these United States speaking this American language should … Continue reading →

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