The Pen and the Sword: Conversations with David Barsamian

190 Pages·1994·5.598 MB·English

by  Edward W. Said, David Barsamian

'ITRODUCTION BY LQBAL AHMAL
The Pen
and the
Swore
CONVERSATIONS WITh
in
DAVID BARSAMIAN
1

Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2019 with funding from
Kahle/Austin Foundation
https://archive.org/details/penswordconversaOOOOsaid

The Pen
and
//
the Sword
Edward W. Said
Conversations
with David Barsamian
Common Courage Press Monroe, Maine
copyright © Edward W. Said and David
Barsamian 1994
All rights reserved.
Transcripts by Sandy Adler
Cover photo by Neal Cassidy
Cover design by Matt Wuerker
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Said, Edward W
The pen & the Sword : conversations with David Barsamian /
Edward W. Said,
p. cm.
ISBN 1-56751-031-0. - ISBN 1-56751-030-2 (pbk.)
1. Said, Edward W. 2. Critics—Interviews. 3. Literature. Modem-
History and criticism-Theory. etc. 4. Imperialism in literature.
5. Colonies in literature. 6. Politics and culture.
I. Barsamian, David. II. Title. III. Title: Pen and the Sword.
PN75.S25S25 1994
809—dc20 94-15582
CIP
Common Courage Press
P.O. Box 702
Monroe, ME 04951
207-525-0900 fax: [phone]
First Printing
Contents
Acknowledgments 5
Introduction
Eqbal Ahmad 7
The Politics and Culture of Palestinian Exile 23
Orientalism Revisited 39
The Pen and the Sword:
Culture and Imperialism 63
The Israel/PLO Accord:
A Critical Assessment 107
Palestine: Betrayal of History 145
Index 171

Acknowledgments
In 1979 I was producing “Ganges to the Nile,” a
weekly program on Eastern music on KGNU,
Boulder. Edward Said’s Orientalism inspired me to
contextualize the program within a political, cultur¬
al and historical framework. Even though I have
moved on from “Ganges,” Edward Said continues to
inform my work. It wasn’t until 1987 that I met him
at a talk he had given at a school on New York’s
Eastside. A few days later we did our first interview.
I remember his asking expectantly, “Do you have
some good questions?” Since then both the ques¬
tions and answers have continued. Some of the
interviews in this collection were broadcast nation¬
ally and internationally on Alternative Radio. They
were all recorded in person in New York except the
last one which was done by phone.
Thanks to H. Aram Veeser and Zaineb Istrabadi
for their encouragement, advice and suggestions,
and to Sandy Adler for transcribing the tapes.
I am very appreciated of Eqbal Ahmad for writ¬
ing the introduction.
I feel a kinship with Edward Said rooted per¬
haps in my own background in which the themes of
exile and dispossession were so prominent. My grat¬
itude to him is fused with much affection and
respect.
—David Barsamian,
Boulder, Colorado
June 1994
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