Tag Archives: language

Furiouser Than Thou

Posted on May 20, 2019 by JMN

Margaret Renkl writes from Tennessee. Her anguish over what she calls the racist and misogynistic travesty that is endemic and persisting in southern society is palpable in the column cited here. Renkl cites recent instances of atrocities committed by southern … Continue reading →

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“Lay, Lady, Lay.”

Posted on May 19, 2019 by JMN

“Lay across my big brass bed.” The Bob Dylan song encapsulates the entrenched American muddle around “lie” and “lay.” The victory of “lay” is all but complete. It’s obvious the song invites the lady to sexual congress, not to a … Continue reading →

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Blooper Reel — Evening News

Posted on April 30, 2019 by JMN

It’s a veritable laff riot when talking heads wax jocose with their colleagues while the camera rolls. Rachel, female reporter ending her remote footage: “Back to you, Tucker. I’m gonna stay here and have fun with Curly, my new buddy.” … Continue reading →

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On Being an Afterthought

Posted on April 29, 2019 by JMN

I like learning that the average reading speed for adult viewers of subtitled movies is 15 to 17 characters a second, that 37-42 characters fit on a line, and the number of lines is limited to two. A sad fact, … Continue reading →

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Haunted by the Undefined

Posted on April 25, 2019 by JMN

Thank you, Maeve Higgins. I’m always glad for the rare journalist who doesn’t assume her reader is privy to novel slang. A term I knew only from sailing has headlined several unread articles recently. I assumed it had to do … Continue reading →

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Bastard File

Posted on April 20, 2019 by JMN

I went shopping online for a metal file with which to increase the gap of the hook on the support strap I use for my classical guitar. The hook engages with the sound hole of the instrument, and is too … Continue reading →

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“… This realm, this England.”

Posted on April 16, 2019 by JMN

I find the paragraph cited here interesting and amusing for its self-aware description of how the author and his interviewee, both of them writers, preen themselves competitively on their humble class origins to establish their bona fides while preparing to … Continue reading →

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Body Language

Posted on April 16, 2019 by JMN

I’ve had little opportunity to enjoy the spectacle of dance except vicariously through the writing of Joan Acocella in The New Yorker. I admire the discipline and athleticism that dance demands of its performers. The passage cited here charms me … Continue reading →

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Not Ready for Answers

Posted on April 16, 2019 by JMN

Merce Cunningham comes across in these recollections of his dancers as a man who spoke volumes in few words. “Don’t make everything so pretty” and the terse statement that answers demand questions cover about ninety percent of art and life, … Continue reading →

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The Heart Is a Pump

Posted on April 12, 2019 by JMN

I like what Terence McNally says about creating character through dialogue. His “heart” trope further in the interview, however, is hackneyed. I hope writers who survive this “age of calamity” find a new way to talk about courage, tolerance, empathy, … Continue reading →

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