Category Archives: Commentary

Opinion or analysis concerning whatever’s on my mind.

Glimpses and Manias (I’m So All About This Painting)

Posted on February 28, 2026 by JMN

This thumping doodle by Lee Krasner — whatever it is, I like it, not least because it looks like some kind of writing devised by a sensibility going for broke. For that matter it could be the shower tile of … Continue reading →

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Degrees, Accolades, Publications, Affiliations (DAPA)

Posted on February 17, 2026 by JMN

DAPA and something about gender orientation and ethnicity are common data points in Poetry’s thumbnail profiles of contributors to the magazine. They’re like snapshots of bodybuilders flexed for pose-off. Musculature duly noted, but here’s what’s truly interesting: How do you … Continue reading →

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Fire in the Casus Belly

Posted on February 1, 2026 by JMN

The Secretary of War and the Commander of War mustered the Brass at the Department of War. First the SOWThen the COWSettled the hashGood and properOf the BrassAt the DOW.B-B-B-BOOM!K-K-K-POW!NOBEL FOR PEACE!N-N-N-NOW! (c) 2025 JMN — EthicalDative. All rights reserved

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Three Rules With Tolerances

Posted on January 26, 2026 by JMN

RULE OF GOLDTreat others like you want to be treated. RULE OF IRONBelieve in Me or else. RULE OF THUMBSteer into the skid. TOLERANCES“Every trade works to different tolerances. Steel workers aim to be accurate within half an inch; carpenters … Continue reading →

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And That’s Okay, But Don’t Worry, It’s Under Control’

Posted on January 13, 2026 by JMN

Remarks by podcaster Jason Staples have led me to ponder the notion of “original” language relative to scriptures widely known via translation. My attention was drawn to Staples’s comment that the Book of Revelations “has mixed metaphors all over the … Continue reading →

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Nostalgia, or Afterglow Foretold

Posted on January 4, 2026 by JMN

Greetings, Heart of Loia! Brylcreem, a little dab’ll do ya,Brylcreem, ya’ll look so debonair.Brylcreem, the gals will pursue ya.Just rub a little of it in yer hair! Breaking the 4th Wall for a MomentIn my experience, being followed (subscribed) here … Continue reading →

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Revolutionary January: No-Shots-Fired

Posted on January 1, 2026 by JMN

“As U.S. Guns Pour Into Canada, the Bodies Pile Up” (New York Times headline on Dec. 21, 2025) Can’t remember where, but recently I read that a functioning state must have a “monopoly on violence.” At first I found it … Continue reading →

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Of the 40 ‘Best’ Illustrations, 4 Are Good

Posted on December 29, 2025 by JMN

Sadly, many of the New York Times’s “best” Illustrations of 2025 are animated, removing them from consideration. Many others are merely garish, or negligible in diverse ways. Not a good year for illustration, but for the craver of artful graphics … Continue reading →

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‘Earrings for a Giraffe’

Posted on December 24, 2025 by JMN

In 1948, American artist Ruth Asawa (d. 2013, age 87) took classes at Black Mountain College in North Carolina with the dancer Merce Cunningham. Her mentor there was the architect Buckminster Fuller. … Such works were described dismissively by one … Continue reading →

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Writing Not Sterling, But Some Nice Painting

Posted on December 22, 2025 by JMN

Reflection on an article about painter Aubrey Williams that could use some editing. The article is informative about circumstances of Williams’s life, but light on useful appraisal of his art. Continue reading →

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