Category Archives: Quotations

Things people said.

Catch of the Day

Posted on October 25, 2019 by JMN

I qualify only as a spectator to the Brexit scene; however, the informal allegory cited by Roger Cohen in his opinion piece travels well in other precincts. As a British friend wrote me recently, “I’m just saying if I narrowly … Continue reading →

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The Power of Reading Aloud

Posted on October 22, 2019 by JMN

One of the virtues of reading a narrative aloud, to children or indeed to anyone, is the way that vocalizing a story clarifies its power, especially in the quavering passion that you try to keep from your voice (because you … Continue reading →

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Fellow Feeling

Posted on October 22, 2019 by JMN

So how did the daughter of an American stockbroker come to meet a surly, bourgeois French artist? Degas became aware of Cassatt, known for her sensitive portrayals of women and children, in 1874, historians said. He was strolling through the … Continue reading →

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“Life Is a Racket” (Nick Tosches)

Posted on October 22, 2019 by JMN

“The things I wanted to be when I was a kid were an archaeologist, because of dinosaur bones; a garbage man, because they got to ride on the side of the trucks; and a writer,” he told The Times. “If … Continue reading →

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Words With Eyes

Posted on October 6, 2019 by JMN

Viewing a Kirchner painting always makes me want to say more than I know how. I’ve seen this painting several times. A picture best speaks for itself, but a good art critic’s words can add to its impact. In “Berlin … Continue reading →

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Nearly Inexplicable Love

Posted on September 9, 2019 by JMN

I used to think that her Professional Texan act was just that, but I see now that it was also a way to show that we Texans were all in it together, and that the things that united us — … Continue reading →

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Arcadia for Straw

Posted on September 9, 2019 by JMN

One can understand a place by what its people make… Locals [from Orkney] have a special relationship with straw, which they have long used for everything from roofing and bedding to shelving, rainwear and furniture. Perhaps the most famous local … Continue reading →

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Nay, Nay Now. Period

Posted on September 2, 2019 by JMN

“I am NOT going to use the evil acts of a handful of people to diminish the God-given rights of my fellow Texans. Period. None of these so-called gun-control solutions will work to stop a person with evil intent […] … Continue reading →

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Sexual Fantasies

Posted on September 1, 2019 by JMN

“My greatest sexual fantasy is just to have regular sex in my own apartment. But, in my fantasy, my apartment has a washing machine and a dryer.” (Mark Cognata, “Sexual Fantasies of Everyday New Yorkers,” The New Yorker, “Daily Shouts”) … Continue reading →

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The Few, the Proud, the Readers

Posted on August 31, 2019 by JMN

“If you haven’t read hundreds of books, you are functionally illiterate, and you will be incompetent, because your personal experiences alone aren’t broad enough to sustain you.” (Marine General Jim Mattis, from his new book “Call Sign Chaos,” written with … Continue reading →

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