Category Archives: Anthology

My collected writings and those of family members.

1987: “A Fable”

Posted on October 14, 2018 by JMN

For C*** and H*** Bamboo blinds gentle the noonday, coastal sun. A Gulf breeze licks the south-east corner of Casa Ramico’s. I take my usual table, nodding at the busboys who greet me deferentially. Eulalia brings me water and a … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology | Leave a comment

1987: Twain: Tells a Lot

Posted on October 10, 2018 by JMN

[Dear Mother,] Another anecdote that tells a lot about the man is when he was allowed, with great reluctance on Clara’s part [one of Twain’s daughters], to attend a recital that she did manage to give. He was placed on … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology | Tagged | 4 Comments

Michelangelo Merisi (Caravaggio)

Posted on October 10, 2018 by JMN

The exhibition’s principal curator, Francesca Cappelletti, said her aim was to demonstrate “what Caravaggio’s intellectual legacy was, not only as a painter but as an inventor.” He found new ways of depicting age-old subjects, be they mythological or biblical, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Quotations | Tagged | Leave a comment

Julian Schnabel: Rudimentary Concerns

Posted on October 10, 2018 by JMN

“What the surface of a painting can be is an obsession of mine,” Mr. Schnabel said. “If you see how the plate paintings function, it’s very three-dimensional, both physically and spatially. I like dealing with physical problems and rudimentary concerns … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Quotations | Tagged | Leave a comment

Stag Country: The Endicotts weren’t from here…

Posted on October 7, 2018 by JMN

The Endicotts weren’t from here. They came in the fifties from one of those towns the other side of Buckwaller. Rowena Endicott was a flouncy thing, half silly, always showed more leg in her skirts than was necessary. Her and me co-captained … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology | Tagged | 2 Comments

1987: A Mark Twain Anecdote

Posted on October 7, 2018 by JMN

[In a letter to my mother I cite the following quotation from “God’s Fool,” the biography of Twain that I was reading. ] I do seem to have a whole lot of interest in a lot of arts and things. … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology | Tagged | 2 Comments

1987 Correspondence: “The other topic…” [redacted]

Posted on October 3, 2018 by JMN

[Dear Mother,] The other topic grabbed me almost as I was leaving Philadelphia. I picked up a hotel copy of the Inquirer and sort of skimmed the article about [Name] resigning as head of [Organization], which means, apparently, either “[Phrase]” … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology | Tagged | Leave a comment

Boosler, Eisenberg, Cage, Aznavour, Hockney

Posted on October 3, 2018 by JMN

Men, she sighs, expect her to cook breakfast the morning after sex. “They want things like toast,” she says, exasperated. “I don’t have these recipes.” (Jason Zinoman, “The Comedy Master Who Hasn’t Gotten Her Due: Elayne Boosler,” NYTimes, 10-1-18) “I … Continue reading →

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

Old Mother Goose

Posted on October 1, 2018 by JMN

This is a painting based on a badly faded image in an old children’s book I possess. The image is an illustration by Anne Anderson, a Scottish illustrator (1874-1952). It’s intriguing in various ways, prominent of which for me is … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Commentary | Tagged | 1 Comment

Tip #2 for the Male Homemaker

Posted on September 30, 2018 by JMN

For the infrequent occasions when your dog doesn’t make it through the night and poops in her usual spot on the tile floor in front of the fireplace, an ancient ash shovel and a metal dustpan are of the essence. … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Commentary | Tagged | Leave a comment