Category Archives: Commentary

Opinion or analysis concerning whatever’s on my mind.

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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Get the ‘Lead’ Out

Posted on November 5, 2019 by JMN

She has lead the way, but all the candidates need to come clean about their health care proposals. (Elisabeth Rosenthal, “Elizabeth Warren Throws Down the Gauntlet,” NYTimes, 11-4-19) The error in the NYTimes subheading is more exciting than usual. It … Continue reading →

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A Descendant of Ralph the Wrecker

Posted on November 5, 2019 by JMN

A mighty union that had lasted hundreds of years, running from the Orkneys to Cornwall, from Belfast to Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll, would have been torn asunder…. (Nicholas Kristof, “Will Great Britain Become Little England?” NYTimes, 11-2-19) I would like to visit … Continue reading →

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George Condo

Posted on November 3, 2019 by JMN

Mr. Condo, 61, is best known for his bold figurative paintings that blend old master techniques and cartoonish characters, capturing a range of emotions from many perspectives in a method he calls “psychological Cubism.” “In the early days of Cubism, … Continue reading →

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Meaning vs. Making

Posted on November 2, 2019 by JMN

I do wish [the show’s curators] had enforced a bit more critical distance. Mr. Haacke, as each gallery proudly proclaims, has written every single wall label himself — which offers helpful context, but turns the show into an uncomfortable act … Continue reading →

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“We live without a future”

Posted on November 1, 2019 by JMN

Virginia Woolf’s house was destroyed by bombings in the Second World War. One of the last entries in her journals before her suicide has imagery that lacerates. She sounds almost bemused by the despair she conveys, as if observing it … Continue reading →

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Can a Lie Be “Unintentional”?

Posted on October 30, 2019 by JMN

I propose as a reflection on semantics that a lie, strictly speaking, cannot be “unintentional.” A lie must know itself to be such in the mind of the liar. Consider the following quotation: “I am unquestionably, undoubtedly, the greatest human … Continue reading →

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Sequelae

Posted on October 29, 2019 by JMN

[“The existing Hollywood order, the current pop-cultural regime,”] is built, to an extent that would have been unfathomable even 20 years ago, on the commercial exploitation of what was once called “genre” entertainment — the comic-book movie especially, the Marvel … Continue reading →

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I’m Like: Whoa

Posted on October 25, 2019 by JMN

All bets are off when a subject finds the interviewer’s question “very interesting.” There’s a likelihood that the answer will go its own way. I find that to be the case in this exchange between Jori Finkel, a contributor to … Continue reading →

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