Category Archives: Quotations

Things people said.

Meatballs and Mothers

Posted on October 7, 2018 by JMN

Quotation of the Day “There were a lot of things being said about my mother that day, a lot of it bad stuff and depressing. But the best one was ‘Hey, Canha, your mother’s meatballs aren’t that good.’ ” — Mark … Continue reading →

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Fiction’s Mission

Posted on October 7, 2018 by JMN

[Quotation from a 1993 interview of David Foster Wallace, one of several that Michael Schur, creator of sitcom “The Good Place,” keeps in his office.] Look, man, we’d probably most of us agree that these are dark times, and stupid … Continue reading →

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There’ll Always Be a Japan

Posted on October 3, 2018 by JMN

Ogata was speaking at the podium when the chairman, Shinya Kutsuki, asked her if she had something in her mouth. She explained that she was sucking a lozenge because she was suffering from a cold and did not want to … Continue reading →

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Boosler, Eisenberg, Cage, Aznavour, Hockney

Posted on October 3, 2018 by JMN

Men, she sighs, expect her to cook breakfast the morning after sex. “They want things like toast,” she says, exasperated. “I don’t have these recipes.” (Jason Zinoman, “The Comedy Master Who Hasn’t Gotten Her Due: Elayne Boosler,” NYTimes, 10-1-18) “I … Continue reading →

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Yo-Yo Ma, America’s Cellist

Posted on September 28, 2018 by JMN

And what Mr. Ma plays at moments like those [i.e. historic occasions], to make us cry and then soothe us, is, more often than not, a selection from the Bach cello suites. These six works are the Everest of his … Continue reading →

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William Faulkner Loved Mysteries

Posted on September 25, 2018 by JMN

Faulkner rarely discussed his love of mysteries, perhaps considering them lowbrow, but he seemed to understand their importance to his writing. A friend recalled visiting a library with him, so Faulkner could “exchange a stack of mystery stories for a … Continue reading →

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Cecily Brown: Saying More Than One Thing at Once

Posted on September 24, 2018 by JMN

“I wanted to make the painting that New York deserves right now,” she said. “It’s such a bloody awful time in so many ways. At the same time, New York is having one of its richest moments in history for … Continue reading →

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Getting Recognition

Posted on September 24, 2018 by JMN

Once, when asked about discrimination against female artists, the Abstract Expressionist Lee Krasner said the bias was as old as Judeo-Christian history. Brushing aside the weight of that realization, she added, “There’s nothing I can do about those 5,000 years.” … Continue reading →

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How It Goes

Posted on September 23, 2018 by JMN

Governor Nimati said that disaster in the Baghlan-e-Markazi district was averted last week only after the American military sent Special Forces troops to fight alongside Afghan commandos, backed up by airstrikes. But as soon as the Americans and the commandos … Continue reading →

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Women Declared To Be ‘Persons’!

Posted on September 21, 2018 by JMN

“We believe that a very large number of women do not desire to vote. They shrink from having to go to the polling booths on election days. They would much prefer staying at home and attending to their household duties.” … Continue reading →

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