Against the defense of a sexual predator Andre Gide by Edmund White

But as Alan Sheridan writes of Gide in his comprehensive (et compréhensif!) book, ‘surprisingly, no complaint was ever made against him, either by a boy or by his parents. He was, of course, protected by the innocence of the times. But he never forced his attentions on anyone.’

Edmund White: On the chance that a shepherd boy …

London Review of Books, Vol. 20 No. 24, 10th December 1998.

Except poor boys, barely in their teens,

living under colonial military occupation,

who had to prostitute themselves to survive

and help their families to survive.

Poor boys who sucked his dick to get bread

and who let him put his dick in their asshole

and fuck them

so that they could get almonds and dates

to bring back to their siblings to eat.

But they don't count, do they, Edmund White?

And the 'innocence of the times' -

perhaps 'someone' just got through

part of his 'private education'

by sleeping with his history teachers?