“This must be about another intelligent African-American writing or doing something interesting.”
But my brain answered back:
“Nope, it’s about a Trayvon, not a Thomas Chatterton. It’s not on the sports page, so it’s going to be messed-up and miserable.
And because it’s in the Times, not the Post, Trayvon’s going to be the victim, not the victimizer.”
***
As much as I hate to differ with Sailer (and Williams) — the original Thomas Chatterton died at 17 because he killed himself, one of those “the world doesn’t appreciate my genius” types who was too impatient to wait to get TB, or for the VD to kill him first.
Whether or not be was a “brilliant poet” I dunno.
Hmmm: Poor impulse control. Compulsive versifying. Youthful death wish…
Not EXACTLY the guy I’d name my (black) kid after if I had ambitions for his future.
But hey: good intentions, right? And they’ve clearly paid off.
(PS: being “on the sports page” is no guarantee that the “Trayvon” in question didn’t shoot himself in the leg, beat up his girlfriend or get arrested for running dog fights.)
