Here Are Your Geniuses

“Obviously, I’m very grateful but I have a vague sense of not belonging.”
–David Simon (“The Wire,” “Treme”) reacts to being named one of this year’s John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation “geniuses.” Other names among the 23 recipients of the $500,000 award include pianist Jason Moran, director David Cromer and author Annette Gordon-Reed. The real surprise here is that Simon, upon being told he was a genius, didn’t respond by saying, “No fucking shit.”