Category Archives: Anthology

My collected writings and those of family members.

Titans in Natty Attire

Posted on March 7, 2019 by JMN

Joni Mitchell describes herself as a “painter derailed by circumstance.” (“Joni Mitchell,” Wikipedia) (Photo from Guy Trebay, “Of David Hockney and Joni Mitchell Holding Hands,” NYTimes, 2-28- 19) (c) 2019 JMN.

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Proto Trudeau?

Posted on March 7, 2019 by JMN

[“Sir John Soane’s Museum [London] will announce this week that it is to stage Hogarth: Place and Progress, an exhibition of 50 or so works in which Hogarth observed the morals of contemporary life, conveying the comedy and tragedy of … Continue reading →

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The “Immortals” Budge

Posted on March 4, 2019 by JMN

Decades after other French-speaking countries adopted feminine names for professions, the official guardians of the language in France have also backed the change. The Académie française, whose members are known as “immortals”, has said it has no obstacle in principle … Continue reading →

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Correct Me If I’m Wrong

Posted on March 4, 2019 by JMN

People often say that our problem in America today is incivility or intolerance. This is incorrect… You might be tempted to say we need to find ways to disagree less, but that is incorrect… This might sound like a call … Continue reading →

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How Rembrandt Worked

Posted on March 1, 2019 by JMN

I liked the detail quoted below of how Rembrandt painted lace — the “hieroglyphic jumble” that coheres from afar– as well as the notion that a painted copy of a repetitive pattern actually looks artificial. This is helpful to a … Continue reading →

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Incorporates a Stretchy Sock

Posted on March 1, 2019 by JMN

I have a vicarious affection for Scotland nurtured by family genealogy. Coupled with a weakness for spirited fashion talk, it leads me to share the following: [Natacha Ramsay-Levi, Chloé’s creative director] joins many other European designers this season, including Riccardo … Continue reading →

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Dress in Peace

Posted on February 23, 2019 by JMN

The couple’s closets were filled with immaculate clothes. (Bonnie Wertheim, “Marella Agnelli, Society’s ‘Last Swan’ and a Passionate Gardener, Is Dead at 91,” NYTimes, 2-23-19) All respect to the Agnelli family and condolences for their loss. The clothing reference struck … Continue reading →

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Dangerous Music

Posted on February 21, 2019 by JMN

In 1919, jazz, or “jass,” as some still called it, was a peculiar word with musical and sexual connotations. It could be noun, verb or adjective, indicating pep, liveliness and noise. Jazz was the new counterculture dance music replacing ragtime … Continue reading →

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Maurice Sendak’s Allure

Posted on February 16, 2019 by JMN

“Reaching the kids is important, but secondary,” Sendak once said. “First, always, I have to reach and keep hold of the child in me…” With their flattened perspective, the book’s pages have the allure of the poster, brazen, sleek and … Continue reading →

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Tolkien, Amateur

Posted on February 16, 2019 by JMN

“He’s doing the drawings and the maps and the spreadsheets and all of that detail — the language, the calligraphy — for himself,” [Richard Ovenden, head of the Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford] said, after pointing out that Tolkien didn’t … Continue reading →

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