Category Archives: Quotations

Things people said.

Precise, Forceful, Formal, Direct, Powerful

Posted on November 14, 2019 by JMN

A letter to the NYTimes is signed by Roxana Robinson, former president of the Authors Guild, and 32 other writers. It exhorts The Times to “use precise and forceful language that reveals the struggle in which we now find ourselves.” … Continue reading →

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“I’m a Bit Worried”

Posted on November 11, 2019 by JMN

Jim Kay, who lives in Sussex, England, talks about his work as an illustrator of Harry Potter novels. How would you say your style has evolved over the years? I haven’t found a style yet. I’m desperately trying to find … Continue reading →

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The History of Art, Minus Art

Posted on November 1, 2019 by JMN

I want to find this slightly bizarre article interesting, but I’m distracted by astonishment that it does not show a single illustration of the work of the artists it discusses: Stanton MacDonald-Wright and Morgan Russell. Well, unless you count the … Continue reading →

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Get Thee to a Nonery

Posted on October 29, 2019 by JMN

Pew’s latest report found that nonbelievers are gaining ground fast. “Nones” — those with no particular religion — now account for more than one-quarter of the American population. There are substantially more nones than Catholics. (Nicholas Kristoff, “We’re Less and … Continue reading →

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War and Art

Posted on October 26, 2019 by JMN

In this article about Hilma af Klint two themes draw my attention. First, not having been clobbered by twentieth-century wars is a sad and sobering distinction to apply to a city. While there is not currently any comprehensive display of … Continue reading →

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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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