Said is vice president of the prestigious Modern Language Association, the professional association of literary scholars, and next January he will become president. In recent years the M.L.A. has been beset by warring camps in the debate over political correctness, multiculturalism and diversity on college campuses. Now Said believes the association is evolving toward a more universal outlook.

Said was a prominent member of the Palestinian parliament-in-exile for 14 years until he quietly stepped down in 1991. He had broken with Yasir Arafat after decades of support, saying the P.L.O. lacked credibility and moral authority. He has called the peace agreement between Israel and the P.L.O. "an instrument of Palestinian surrender" and an extension of Israel’s long-standing policy to dominate the Arabs militarily and economically. His criticism extends to the United States, which he calls a "dishonest broker" in the peace process due to its long-standing support for Israel.
 
While Said, who is fluent in Arabic and French, remains a sought-after commentator in this country on Middle Eastern politics, and is often heard on National Public Radio, his views are as likely these days to be broadcast and published abroad. He is a frequent commentator for the BBC, Canadian Broadcasting and on Australian radio. He writes about the Middle East and other subjects for The Progressive and contributes a twice-monthly column to Al Hayat, the London-based Arabic daily that circulates throughout the Arab world. Said, an accomplished pianist and scholar of music, is the music critic of The Nation. 

This talk originally took place on May 8th, 2003, at Kane Hall on the University of Washington campus, and was part of the Walker-Ames Lecture Series at the University’s Graduate School.