Category Archives: Quotations

Things people said.

You Can Pick Your Battles, Not Your Wars

Posted on January 21, 2020 by JMN

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jan/21/crushed-by-brexit-how-labour-lost-the-election My title is what I extrapolate from the tersely cogent remark attributed to an anonymous Labour Party strategist: “In the end, you can’t just fight a battle and ignore your opponent. You can’t just say: ‘We’re fighting at sea’, … Continue reading →

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Kingsize Inference

Posted on December 15, 2019 by JMN

… Parties that either oppose Brexit or want to rethink Britain’s departure won 52 percent of the total votes cast, while the Conservatives and other pro-Brexit parties won only 46 percent. “Boris is part of the establishment,” [Thomas Wright, director … Continue reading →

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“Morally Murky World” Redux

Posted on December 12, 2019 by JMN

This morally murky world of spying is where le Carré continues to make his literary mark. John le Carré’s 25th novel, “Agent Running in the Field,” was published on October 22, 2019. It came two years after the 88-year-old author’s … Continue reading →

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A. O. Scott on Sontag

Posted on December 10, 2019 by JMN

The credit on this piece says “A.O. Scott is a chief film critic at The Times and the author of ‘Better Living Through Criticism: How to Think About Art, Pleasure, Beauty, and Truth.’” I read him frequently. (Strictly as a … Continue reading →

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Outrenoir: Ultra-Black

Posted on December 6, 2019 by JMN

French painter Pierre Soulages turns 100 this December, 2019. He is being accorded an exhibit at the Louvre. The only other painters given an exhibit there during their lifetimes were Picasso and Chagall. Since 1979, Soulages has worked exclusively in … Continue reading →

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Don’t Slip, Ma’am

Posted on December 3, 2019 by JMN

Americans watch the royals, rapt, for signs of slippage and failure, but also out of a kind of awe at how long they’ve sustained the illusion of honor. Yes, they’re mooches and hypocrites, but—… (Lili Loofbourow, “The Mesmerizing Disgrace of … Continue reading →

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‘Your Painting Is Your Best Friend’

Posted on December 2, 2019 by JMN

Cecily Brown, age 50, is the daughter of British writer Shena Mackay and David Sylvester, the art critic and curator. When Brown was 18 and struggling financially, the painter and sculptor Maggi Hambling let her paint in her garage. “Maggi … Continue reading →

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Celia Paul

Posted on December 1, 2019 by JMN

Celia Paul was one of five daughters of Christian missionaries. She spent her early childhood in India, then in Exmoor, southwest England. Her father became bishop of Bradford. “Why, she wonders, did he have all these children he didn’t have … Continue reading →

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Mouth of the Gun

Posted on November 27, 2019 by JMN

On 10-1-17 a killer shot dead 58 people in a Las Vegas concert venue and injured 500. An ammo dealer sold the killer hundreds of incendiary tracer rounds which he didn’t use in the spree. The dealer’s lawyer says the … Continue reading →

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“Military Common Sense Rules”

Posted on November 26, 2019 by JMN

“Aim towards the Enemy.” (Instruction printed on US M79 Rocket Launcher) Salute to GP Cox, Pacific Paratrooper. (c) 2019 JMN

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