Category Archives: Commentary

Opinion or analysis concerning whatever’s on my mind.

Separate and United

Posted on November 20, 2019 by JMN

“England and America are two countries separated by the same language.” (George Bernard Shaw) The two countries nowadays are united by a common divisiveness, an internecine feud over their respective futures. This excerpt from the NYTimes* is dated Nov. 18, … Continue reading →

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E Pluribus Unum: Relief for a Pedant

Posted on November 18, 2019 by JMN

… If applied to everyone, “they” would complete the leveling-up progress of equal dignity that “you” started centuries ago. (Teresa M. Bejan, “What Quakers Can Teach Us About the Politics of Pronouns,” NYTimes, 11-16-19) 1. A person has to register … Continue reading →

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Latin What?

Posted on November 17, 2019 by JMN

… Elizabeth Warren… began conducting her outreach to Hispanic voters using the term “Latinx.” (Though she did take a little flack, after the first Democratic debate, for pronouncing it “Latin-X.”) (Ross Douthat, “Liberalism’s Latinx Problem,” NYTimes, 11-5-19) Ross Douthat comments … Continue reading →

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Sport Imitates It

Posted on November 16, 2019 by JMN

(c) 2019 JMN

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Art Hack

Posted on November 16, 2019 by JMN

In her “Life Hack” exhibit at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Rachel Harrison corrals artifacts inside a circle of chairs facing away. Like eat my dust. Irony? Wit? Truculence? Genius? Contempt? Here’s how Holland Carter talks about it: … … Continue reading →

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To Some Extent, Women

Posted on November 13, 2019 by JMN

… Edith Gregor Halpert (1900-1970), was a formidable, feisty and sometimes manipulative self-starter with an ecumenical eye, a passion for art and an inborn instinct for sales and promotion. Halpert was central to establishing the market for between-the-wars American art … Continue reading →

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What Huge Imago

Posted on November 11, 2019 by JMN

On this Veterans’ Day I salute military persons past and present who have honored their country, including my son, a Navy man currently serving on a far shore. I’ve undertaken my periodic re-memorization of W.H. Auden’s epoch-spanning poem “September 1, … Continue reading →

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A Week of Orgisms

Posted on November 9, 2019 by JMN

I’ve recently seen mention of cubism, orphism, synchromism, and now suprematism. This last is what Kazimir Malevich called his movement. Art history is a geyser of isms. This article illustrates the masterpiece-or-fake-ism that sprinkles journalism. Internationally [Malevich] is probably most … Continue reading →

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Humbug Goes Virile

Posted on November 7, 2019 by JMN

Rights groups also say that an increasingly bitter political climate surrounding Brexit has fueled the flames — as did recent remarks by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the treatment of female lawmakers… In a parliamentary debate in September, Mr. Johnson … Continue reading →

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Shades of Black

Posted on November 7, 2019 by JMN

Stories in today’s press foster a rumination about “misconduct.” The monarch of Thailand banished two courtiers from his entourage for “extremely evil misconduct.” Unpacking the phrase’s implications suggests there may be three shades of misconduct: Misconduct (White) Evil misconduct (Grey) … Continue reading →

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