Hyperbole aside, the guy is no dim bulb. And any cattiness his style may smack of is more than balanced out by a kind of unusually staunch humanity he has.
My old pal E.J. turned me on to his essays years ago---like these. After that, when I'd see him around town, I had a different sort of regard for the fella. He's a thinker as well as a freak! One of my favorite combos.