Places of mind : a life of Edward Said

• Writing with insight and originality about the late Edward Said is no easy task. As both an icon and a lightning rod for a variety of scholars thinking and writing about Europe’s relationship with the larger world, the range and complexity of Said’s persona and ideological contributions to postcolonial studies seem to be already well known. Brennan’s investment in telling Said’s story anew provides an eye-opening gem that reveals what past scholarship on the Princeton-trained scholar of Palestinian heritage, who studied European literature and culture, overlooks. A former student of Said, Brennan (Univ. of Minnesota) draws on testimonies of adversaries and loving admirers alike, close members of Said's family, and even FBI files to reveal Said's impact from his position at Columbia University on events in his native Middle East and on Western politics. In this sympathetic biography, Brennan’s quest to afford more complexity to the already robust story around Said's many intellectual and political battles proves intriguing and illuminating. Speculations as to the best tools to understand such a momentous figure—poetry instead of fiction—reveal much about the author’s engagement with a world his professor forged for him through his lessons. Rewarding, fresh insights await readers. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers and advanced undergraduates through faculty

Ämnesord

HUMANIORA  -- Annan humaniora -- Kulturstudier (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Other Humanities -- Cultural Studies (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Edward Said

Biography

Arabic

Middle East

Orientalism

Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures

Mellanösterns språk och kulturer

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

rec (ämneskategori)