Tag Archives: grammar

The Rivers That Reaches for the Ocean

Posted on September 6, 2025 by JMN

“You’re only given one little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.” (Robin Williams, quoted by Mitch Teemley) The Guadalupe reaches for the ocean.The Pedernales reaches for the ocean.The Rio Grande reaches for the ocean.The Colorado reaches for the ocean.The … Continue reading →

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The Philosopher Writes His Mind, Then Says, ‘Read It.’

Posted on November 18, 2024 by JMN

Persons who explain philosophy say “as it were” and “if you will” a lot. I’m none the wiser how it were, and no, I won’t.  Persons who explain poetry don’t. God writes the universe, then says, “Read it. As it … Continue reading →

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Thinking About Translation While Reading the Quran

Posted on November 13, 2024 by JMN

Nabokov and Borges differed over how translation should be done, the former favoring literalness (“The clumsiest literal translation is a thousand times more useful than the prettiest paraphrase”), the latter transformation (“Translation is… a more advanced stage of writing”). I … Continue reading →

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‘It’s Death in a Modern Setting’

Posted on October 28, 2024 by JMN

Whether it’s taken as a grin or a snarl, all skulls bare their teeth; it goes with being a skull. But sometimes an art historian is in pursuit of a story to tell — it goes with being an art … Continue reading →

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Infinite Scroll on the Scripture Front

Posted on October 22, 2024 by JMN

The cross-referencing contained in scripture reminds me of the infinite scrolling feature that afflicts social media. In the scriptures it doesn’t have pernicious intent, but can lead, nevertheless, to addictive chasing after the satisfaction of curiosity if one isn’t careful. … Continue reading →

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Song of My Selves

Posted on October 13, 2024 by JMN

(c) 2024 JMN — EthicalDative. All rights reserved

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Late-Breaking from on High

Posted on August 7, 2023 by JMN

It may be that God doesn’t talk only to Their anointed few; I’ve had word from that Rascal myself. Here’s what I believe They said: I DIDN’T CREATE LIGHT WITH A THIRD-PERSON COMMAND AS YOU HAVE PROPOSED IN YOUR LITTLE … Continue reading →

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A Light Meditation

Posted on August 2, 2023 by JMN

Que la lumière soit! Et la lumière fut.¡Que la luz sea! Y la luz fue. (Que haya luz. Y hubo luz.)Let light BE! And light WAS. I realize God’s literal words were, “Let there be light.” Thinking about religion grammatically … Continue reading →

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The ‘Weird Causality’ of Passive Voice

Posted on July 20, 2023 by JMN

“Mistakes were made.” (Politicians from Nixon forward) Jamelle Bouie cites a passage from Racecraft: The Soul of Inequality in America by the historians Karen and Barbara Fields: Consider the statement “black Southerners were segregated because of their skin color”— a … Continue reading →

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When the Work Be Done, Then Rest Will Come

Posted on July 9, 2023 by JMN

My title sounds like a hoary aphorism distilling virtuous wisdom passed down through the ages in simple, God-fearing households. But I just made it up. The “aphorism” models usage gone all but missing from English. An encounter with it in … Continue reading →

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