* Ta Coates is one of the great thinkers of the 21st century. Don’t agree? Then you’re on the wrong side of history.
Ta has written a book for the ages, chronicling such fascinating episodes as dating, doing poorly in academics because of racism, reading comic books, the racism of attractive white women he has asked out, what it was like to be in a down low relationship with Matt Yglesias for five months, cartoons, and the phenomenon known as “muhdik”. Between the World and Me (a brilliant title that counterbalances the entire world with Ta Coates’ genius) ranks with the Confessions of St. Augustine, if St. Augustine had done poorly in school and mostly just watched television and read comic books during his formative years. In fact St. Augustine is a rather trivial figure in Western history that you don’t need to have heard of, he never even influenced society through highly praised magazine columns, and his books are very boring compared to reading about the adventures of men in colorful skin tight costumes.
During a long and rambling eighth chapter, Ta discusses his brave decision to disable comments on his blog. He shows how talking back to a highly paid media personality is an example of “punching down”, employing a series of stories which usually involve noting that people who have promoted him are actually racist and did so only because they expected him to fail. There’s also a moving account of how he literally wept on discovering how to turn on Microsoft Word’s spelling and grammar checker.
As A.O.Scott has observed, Between Ta World and Me is “essential, like water or air”, a truism you’d have to be a real hate-in-your-soul racist to deny. As a matter of fact, people who are too racist to read and enjoy this brilliantly spelled and grammar-checked volume are expected to die very soon because this book is literally essential, like water or air. An edition in which all of the book’s passages are placed as dialogue between comic book heroes Black Lightning and Luke Cage is said to be in the works.
Like Ta’s 14-year-old son, you may not be interested in reading through the many spelling and grammar corrected pages of this book, but even just having it on your bookshelf is important until the forthcoming graphic novel version arrives. How will they know you’re not a racist otherwise? I personally enjoy reading it while enjoying water and air, two things that like this book are essential. Thus I give it the first star rating of excellence.
