Category Archives: Commentary

Opinion or analysis concerning whatever’s on my mind.

An Unsocial Medium

Posted on June 13, 2019 by JMN

Farhad Manjoo is a favorite journalist of mine. I’ve read him from when he wrote about tech on Slate before joining the NYTimes. He touts in this column an “unsocial” digital diary app called “Day One,” describing it as “a … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged , | 4 Comments

The Un-Rosie Side

Posted on June 13, 2019 by JMN

Twenty-five-year-old Guy de Montlaur was a heroic French commando in Normandy on D-Day. Having studied before that for a promising art career, he evoked his war-time experience on canvas until his death in 1977 at 58. The National World War … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Mistakes Were Made

Posted on June 8, 2019 by JMN

I’m haunted by that sentence in Lincoln’s second inaugural: “And the war came.” (David Brooks, “The Racial Reckoning Comes,” NYTimes, 6-6-19) David Brooks is well haunted. Lincoln could make words punch above their weight. His mastery lends killing clout to … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Elephant

Posted on June 8, 2019 by JMN

I’m no connoisseur of illustration, but this one strikes me as having a distinctively painterly quality to it. It has introduced me to the work of J.S. Pughe (1870 – 1909), who is well documented in Wikipedia. The graphic appears … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Poet Brand

Posted on June 7, 2019 by JMN

(c) 2019 JMN

Posted in Commentary | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Language As Landscape

Posted on June 4, 2019 by JMN

“Deadwood” (HBO, 2004-2006) created by David Milch, repelled and astounded me when I caught it adventitiously in re-run several years ago. I couldn’t look away from it as I kept thinking, “What the hell is this? It’s amazing!” I told … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Poetry for the Kitchen Slops Bucket

Posted on June 4, 2019 by JMN

Lucasta Miller is the author of “L.E.L.: The Lost Life and Scandalous Death of Letitia Elizabeth Landon, the Celebrated ‘Female Byron.’” Landon’s “scandalous” death occurred at her own hand with prussic acid at age 36. Even today, Letitia Landon provokes … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Francophilia

Posted on June 1, 2019 by JMN

Where I live I have not encountered in recent memory an American who knows, or wants to know, French. Roger Cohen’s encomium to the language and culture is touching. It’s poignant to share French love with another outsider. To be … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Pursuant There Two

Posted on June 1, 2019 by JMN

The threads of spirituality and of blogging are starting to intersect for me. The bedrock of my spirituality is the intuitive knowledge (not faith) that what made me made every virus. If I were assisted by something religious it would … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged | Leave a comment

Cricket Talk

Posted on June 1, 2019 by JMN

[Paraphrase] The bowlers were boys from the groundstaff. One had the temerity to bowl a beamer at Viv Richards. Viv shot the kid an icy glare. The kid bowled him an apologetic delivery. Richards creamed it for four into the … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged , | Leave a comment