Synopses & Reviews
In these conversations with Tariq Ali, recorded in Edward Said's Riverside Drive apartment in New York in June 1994, about a decade before he finally lost his battle with cancer, Said brings his considerable intellect and deep personal engagement to bear on some of the most troubling and volatile issues of our time as he ranges back over his own dislocated existence, his initiation into politics, his involvement with the Palestine cause, his approach to the study of culture and his pervasive love of literature and music. Intimate, personal, thought-provoking and absorbing, these conversations capture Said as political activist, cultural historian, professor of literature and music aficionado -- and confirm his position as one of the most passionate and thoughtful intellections of our time.
Synopsis
In one of his last interviews, Edward Said speaks with Tariq Ali about his dislocated existence, his initiation into politics, his involvement with the Palestinian cause, his approach to the study of culture, and his pervasive love of literature and music. Intimate, personal, thought-provoking, and absorbing, these conversations capture Said--as political activist, cultural historian, professor of literature, and music aficionado--and confirm his position as one of the most passionate and thoughtful intellectuals of our time.
About the Author
Edward Said (1935-2003) was one of the world's most celebrated and influential public intellectuals. He was University Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University and was a spokesman and activist for the Palestinian cause. Tariq Ali is a writer, critic, filmmaker, and author of over a dozen books on world history and politics, including Bush in Babylon and Clash of Fundamentalisms. He lives in London.
Table of Contents
On Growing Up * On Music * On Literature * On Palestine * On Orientalism * On Reception * On Intellectuals and Politics * On Things American * On Identity * On Matters Personal