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Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates - Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues for TheAtlantic.com and the magazine. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle. More

Born in 1975, the product of two beautiful parents. Raised in West Baltimore—not quite The Wire, but sometimes ill all the same. Studied at the Mecca for some years in the mid-’90s. Emerged with a purpose, if not a degree. Slowly migrated up the East Coast with a baby and my beloved, until I reached the shores of Harlem. Wrote some stuff along the way.

I woke up early on my born day

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Sep 30 2008, 7:09 AM ET Comment

So, I turn 33 this afternoon at 2:30. I don't think I'll be blogging much, if at all, today. I got laid-off from a gig about a year and a half ago and I've been running nonstop ever since. Your birthday is good time to lay back and reflect, no? Think about what I did right, what I did wrong, and what lessons to take into the next year. As my man said, that buck that bought the bottle could have struck the Lotto. I'll see you guys tomorrow.

UPDATE: One thing I do know: With every year a lose a bit of alcohol tolerance. Sad but true. I thought mine's was the lush life--I used to write music reviews with John Coltrane and Jack Daniel's.  If I tried that now, I'd just fall asleep. Man, each year I get drier. How pathetic.


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