Coach Says Blogger Highlight Series: Mr. Philosopher

This is the first installment in a series of posts about fellow bloggers I've found interesting on the net.
John Torrey of Mr. Philosopher: Thoughts of the Ignorant Intellectual  took a few minutes to discuss his blog with me. Here's our conversation:

*CS - Coach Says 

*JT - John Torrey 

CS: Tell me a lil bit about you. Background stuff.

JT: I was born and raised in St. Louis, went to Morehouse College cause my big bro went and cause I figured I can go anywhere else after but you only get one shot at college? 

CS: What made you decide to make a blog about philosophy?

JT: I've been a young philosopher for awhile. I've been a writer all my life and I've been my ignorant ass for even longer. lmao But there were issues that id expressed in those Facebook ramblings I'd done and I figured that it might be smart to merge em all.

CS: What made you interested in philosophy?

JT: My English teacher my junior of high school told me i had a philosophical mind and I'd always asked and dealt with the big questions. I went to college not to learn to go get a job but to keep on learning and figured I play to my strengths and the more philosophical texts I read, the more I was convinced I was in the right place.

CS: What do you want to get across with your blog?

JT: I want to push peoples preconceived notions. That's what pulled me to philosophy - the ability to be skeptical and push peoples thinking. A lot of us keep in a box or two. My sole purpose in the world is to get people to think more and I figured I can use the blog to touch folks and hopefully get some conversations going, and also use philosophy as a practical tool for everyday issues.

CS: Who would you most like to read your blog?

JT: EVERY MOTHERFUCKING BODY. I try to touch on a lot of different things so it can appeal to a lot of people. But i want Black folks of course cause that's where my worries always will be. But literally everybody. But real shit, sometimes cause white people read my shit I get nervous about saying some things cause I don't wanna make them feel like they can say some things. lol But for real, everybody can read my shit.

CS: What would your perfect blog post be about?

JT: The effects of capitalism on interpersonal relationships and explaining why the fuck things don't work out cause of it among other things. But I don't really have a perfect post. Just keeping puttin' stuff together and puttin' it out there is perfect.

CS: Where do you want to go with your blog in the future?

JT: Continuing to push the envelope and put down the things that'll become a book in the future. I mean a lot of my posts are just small workings of what can become much larger essays that can be rolled up into a book. So just keepin' down that path and definitely attracting more readers, which means keepin' consistent and plugging away.

CS: Other than the book do you want to try any other media outlets in the future?

JT: Seventy % of me says I should but I'm worried I'd be cussin' up a storm and shit. lol I might not be TV friendly.

CS: Tape Delay lol

JT: lol That would be a necessity. But I'm a bit hot blooded and so I'm worried. But I'd be open to speaking and being on radio and other stuff but don't be surprised if you hear that I popped off on someone. lol

CS: Who would you want to interview for your blog if you could pick anyone?

JT: Interviewing someone for my blog, wow. You know, I've never really thought bout it. Anybody alive or dead?

CS: Dead or Alive. 

JT: If I knew German I'd have [Karl] Marx. If I knew Ancient Greek I'd have Zeno of Elea. But hell, I'd love to interview Black Obama just to see how much of a nigga he is. Cause i know he's a nigga. lol

CS: lol What would you ask them?

JT: Marx - I'd ask for his interpretation of the evolution of capitalism

Zeno - I'd ask him how it felt to be right all the time and how can people now do what he did which is make EVERYBODY else wrong. lol

Black Obama - I'd ask him to be real with me and explain his views of racism compared to his race-blind campaign.

CS: What other blogs do you like?

JT: Sadly I'm not as often checking others blogs. But yours is solid. I should check it more often. Uptown Notes by Dumi Lewis. The Uppity Negro is alright. I mean everybody got a damn blog. Aaron Rhodan's Blind I. I can tell you blogs I don't like. Where mothafuckas whine like shit and are too Blackademic for their own good. I like Niggacademics but i hate Blackademics cuz they tend to separate themselves from themselves. And it reflects in their writings and blogs usually cause black folk get impressed when you use big words. But I don't wanna rant. lol

CS: What do you want people to take from your blog?

JT: That philosophy isn't necessarily dry and that it's very useful. That black people can do philosophy. That we have a lot of notions we don't challenge and that we can challenge em. And don't settle for what you think you know. Fucking trouble it a bit.

CS: Any other things you want to say?

JT: Come by, check it out, COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT. And the brand name of Mr. Philosopher will be my money maker one day. lol

Visit John Torrey's blog by clicking here: Mr. Philosopher