The noted critic and a Palestinian now teaching at Columbia University, examines the way in which the West observes the Arabs From the Publisher: The noted critic and a Palestinian now teaching at Columbia University, examines the way in which the West observes the Arabs.

About the Author: Said received his B.A. from Princeton in 1957 and his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1964. He has been associated with Columbia since 1965, but has held several visiting professorships at distinguished universities. Said's many works of critical theory are distinguished for their intelligent reading of canonical works, and for his astute approach to literature and society, especially in THE WORLD, THE TEXT, AND THE CRITIC and CULTURE AND IMPERIALISM. He is also known for his advocacy of the Palestinian cause. ORIENTALISM (1978) criticized the representation of Arab life in Western history. He is a frequent contributor to op-ed pages and has written many articles and pamphlets. Said was a member of the Palestinian National Council until 1991, and has written on his opposition to Arafat and the Mideast peace agreements. Out of this work came THE QUESTION OF PALESTINE and THE POLITICS OF DISPOSSESSION. In addition to writing about literary and political issues, Said is a musician who has written articles on music for The Nation, as well as a book, MUSICAL ELABORATIONS. In 1998, he was elected president of the Modern Language Association.