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The Desertions of Arafat

As pressures mount upon the Palestinians and Israel continues its drive to put down the second Intifada, what kind of leadership does the PNA provide? Excoriating its irresponsibility and corruption, Edward Said issues a call for Arafat’s departure.

America’s Last Taboo

The Palestinian uprising and the blackout of its human and geographical realities by the US media. Edward Said looks at the power of the Zionist lobby in American public life, and warns of the fatal blindness of the PLO and Arab world towards it.

Protecting the Kosovars?

“Once again, and led by the United States as usual, a war is being conducted—this time in Europe—against an unprincipled and racist dictator who will almost certainly survive the onslaught, even though thousands of innocents will pay the actual price. The pretext this time is, of course, the . . .” read more

Narrative, Geography and Interpretation

“Whenever a great intellectual and moral presence like Raymond Williams suddenly disappears from his habitual place among us it is natural at first to restore him by various ceremonies and activites of commemoration. The sense of loss and bereavement that was felt immediately after Williams’s death in 1988 . . .” read more

C. L. R. James: The Artist as Revolutionary

“For several years I have been introducing students and friends to C.L.R. James’s book, The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L’Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution. Originally published in 1938, it is a study of the great Haitian slave insurrection that began in 1791 and was directly influenced by the . . .” read more

Identity, Negation and Violence

“As something to be talked and written about, as a phenomenon with nearly hysterical descriptions and pronouncements routinely added to its name as a mobilizing theme for politicians, armies, navies and air forces, ‘terrorism’ has now lost a good deal of its power. A mere matter of months . . .” read more

On Palestinian Identity: A Conversation with Salman Rushdie

“Salman Rushdie: The purpose of this evening is to talk about Edward’s new book, After the Last Sky. First I would like briefly to introduce Edward—although, judging by the number of people who have come and are unable to get in, that may hardly be necessary. For . . .” read more