A Said Dictionary

The work of Edward W. Said, one of the key theorists and cultural critics of the twentieth century, has been continually misunderstood and misappropriated by readers from a range of ideological standpoints. This engaging new book maps out Said's critical and theoretical world using the key terms and concepts that he utilized in his work and examines how he molded his vocabulary to meet the needs of the changing world around him.

Original and creative, Said brought his perspective to bear on the existing critical idiom and made an indelible impression on it in both academic and public arenas. He was able to successfully combine the erudition of the specialist and the transparent accountability of a public intellectual committed to humanity at large. Analysing the ways in which he interacted with and differed from his contemporary theorists and exploring his lasting influence, this interpretive dictionary endeavours to do justice to the full scope of his work and his inimitable legacy.