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.

Knaughty Knots

Posted on January 19, 2023 by JMN

If you’ve worked with lumber you know knots are harder than other parts of the wood. Their toughness can stymie a handsaw and defeat a nail. There was once a vogue in home-building circles for “knotty pine.” Prized for its … Continue reading →

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The Innovation Corrective

Posted on January 14, 2023 by JMN

Generative artificial intelligence is a colossal genie blasting out of its bottle as we speak. A key player in the crowded field is named Altman. Get it? Altman —> Alt + Man —> Alternative Man. I made the name up … Continue reading →

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What Are We Wading For?

Posted on January 13, 2023 by JMN

A poem by Richard Reeve introduced me to the accipiter. I Googled it to find it’s a cadillac of a hawk built for fast flight in woodlands. Love the word. I listened to the online pronunciator for good measure. The … Continue reading →

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A Paean to Noma

Posted on January 9, 2023 by JMN

All these words are Pete Wells’s words. I’ve merely culled them selectively from his essay on Noma into a poem-like structure. I’m darned if there’s not a Whitmanesque vibe to it. It was here in the reindeer lichen and puffed … Continue reading →

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Way Too Much Confession

Posted on January 7, 2023 by JMN

I’m aware that I read poetry in too forensic a way, particularly poetry of the moment. Is it because I identify as a translator? I broach a new poem in English with a cocked snoot, I’m afraid. It’s recognizable as … Continue reading →

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Bluebonnet Kool-aid: Funky Word Doodles

Posted on January 4, 2023 by JMN

Fly me to the moonand let me play among the stars.Let me see what life is likeon Jupiter and Mars.In other words,hold my hand,in other words,darling, kiss me. Bart Howard’s old song makes no sense! There’s no oxygen to breathe … Continue reading →

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Constrained to Endure Despite?

Posted on January 4, 2023 by JMN

For studying Arabic, Congruent (1) translations can be invaluable for working out particulars of the language’s behavior. Freewheeling translations are more pleasing to read, but can be “noisy” in a such a way as to create their own problems. Does … Continue reading →

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The Bro Mob: Meta, Not Beta

Posted on January 2, 2023 by JMN

“Last month, Mark Zuckerberg spent hours touting his love of jiujitsu, wrestling and UFC [Ultimate Fighting Championship] on Joe Rogan’s podcast, which is known for its hypermasculinity. Watching TV was not active enough, Mr. Zuckerberg said. “Compared with social media, … Continue reading →

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Compensatory Autophilia Pathology Smackdown

Posted on January 1, 2023 by JMN

Score: Thunberg 1, Tate 0. Game over! (c) 2022 JMN — EthicalDative. All rights reserved

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‘Mystique of Belatedness’: Mything the Point

Posted on December 31, 2022 by JMN

Thank you for your visits to this blog and for indulging its mischief in 2022. More joy and less loss be ahead for each and all! (JMN) “I’m convinced. Eliot finished poetry off.” (Matthew Walther) The problem is not that … Continue reading →

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