I was talking to my mother last night after I got back to St. Louis. She was talking about John McWhorter. McWhorter's doesn't even come close to being Old School....or being a Bastard. Of course I didn't tell mom this, I just gave her the cleaned up version. "McWhorter's no good," I say. Moms is like "you say that about everyone I bring up." She's right. I get more from reading what people like Cobb, or Jelani have to say here than most popular folks in print.
One exception though is Ralph Wiley. It's both a testimony to Wiley's skill and an indictment of popular nonfiction writing that he lases with uncanny accuracy time after time again from the damn pages of Page 2!
Ralph Wiley was a man's man. Not afraid to speak the truth but with diligence and integrity. He was very charasmatic, intelligent and honest. He withstood the test of time and criticism. Like Vernon Jarrett, he was one of my heroes. I will miss you Ralph and always hold you in the highest esteem because you always "did it your way."
Posted by: Iris Gardner at June 15, 2004 11:46 AM
May the Creator continue to bless Ralph Wiley. a good brother, intelligent and proud. will miss him
Posted by: clen at June 15, 2004 04:14 AM