Category Archives: Anthology

My collected writings and those of family members.

Cosmic Cheese

Posted on March 6, 2022 by JMN

The world / was whole because / it shattered. When it shattered, / then we knew what it was. “Formaggio” is Italian for “cheese.” The poem so titled is in Louise Glück’s book Vita Nova. On first reading I experienced … Continue reading →

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

We’re Ourselves in Spite of Us

Posted on March 3, 2022 by JMN

Not the selves we ordered, but the ones received. So it went with those that got us — the trick of not caring for who you be is handed down. Each tiny burden of wiped snot is a pair of … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Commentary | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Nosegay of ‘Droit de Seigneur’

Posted on February 25, 2022 by JMN

Consulting an Arabic dictionary involves looking up a word’s “root,” usually comprising three consonants. Words formed from the root are listed, with their translations, along with idioms in which the word occurs. What the root is may not be apparent … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Absolute Superlative

Posted on February 14, 2022 by JMN

Blachère (364) describes how Arabic expresses the “absolute superlative” — i.e., the uttermost degree of something, with no comparison: Par des noms au cas direct indéterminé de valeur adverbiale dont le sens primitif est paroxysme, degré suprême, rendus en franç. … Continue reading →

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

How Do Poems Be Interesting?

Posted on February 4, 2022 by JMN

A YouTube personality named Isla Rose candidly discusses her male-to-female transition experience, both the affective and the clinical sides. She remarks how the related hormone therapies can diminish responsiveness in intercourse; she must be “very interested” in what’s going on … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Commentary | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

What ‘Self’ Goes With Royal ‘We’ and Singular ‘They’?

Posted on January 29, 2022 by JMN

I take it on report that an English monarch is entitled to declare self-referentially, We are not amused. I amuse myself speculating whether the Queen would say We amuse ourself or We amuse ourselves at whist. In a different context, … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pronoun Rebellion (3)

Posted on January 27, 2022 by JMN

A man’s word is his bond. It’s an aphorism. States a pithy truth, along the lines of, “When someone makes a promise, he keeps it.” This one floats a model of behavior, an ideal. Not a command, exactly, but it … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Commentary | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Pronoun Rebellion (2)

Posted on January 24, 2022 by JMN

(Continued from https://ethicaldative.com/2022/01/22/pronoun-rebellion-1/) Wallace Stevens said of his poem “On an Old Horn” that, if he had succeeded in saying what he had to say, the reader would get it. “He may not get it at once, but, if he … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Commentary | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Pronoun Rebellion (1)

Posted on January 22, 2022 by JMN

It’s apparent that contributors to Poetry magazine compose their own biographical snapshots, which allows for a gamut of voicings and modes of self-assertion. A grammar nerd notices how these established and establishing technicians of the word mold language to their … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Commentary, Quotations | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Confounding Clarity

Posted on January 16, 2022 by JMN

Proliferation of phrases: — A turn of speech makes my point vividly — I’ll use it. But this other phrase is pungent — I’ll use it too. Yet another is incisive; and one is innovative; and one wry; this one … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Commentary | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment