Meet 'The Gang Whisperer'

In her column today, Post Metro columnist Petula Dvorak introduced readers to Thandor Miller, the gang whisperer.

From the column:

Miller is your interpreter, an anthropologist who can translate their impossible-to-fathom culture, habits and language.

"That right there, the arms crossed thing," he says as he pulls out a metal chair and perfectly splays his 58-year-old body into that posture that drives so many teachers, counselors, probation officers, volunteers and mentors mad.

"That's 'cool pose,' " Miller explains to about a dozen adults who work with these kids and came to Miller's workshop to learn better ways to break through. "And cool pose is not for adults. It's not for you or about you. It's for the other guys. It's for the girls. It's a survival technique, a coping mechanism to hide self-doubt. A ritual."

The grown-ups take notes. They are filling up their field guides, understanding the ways of these strange creatures they want to help but don't always understand.

Read the full column here on The Post's Web site.