Join us for a book discussion of Edward Said: The Politics of an Oppositional Intellectual by Nubar Hovsepian (AUC Press, 2025), a profound exploration of the life, work, and legacy of one of the 20th century’s most influential thinkers and the foremost advocate for the Palestinian cause in the West. The discussion features Nubar Hovsepian, in conversation with David Barsamian, an author, lecturer, and investigative journalist, who founded Alternative Radio, an independent and award-winning weekly radio series based in Boulder, Colorado. Together, they explored the political, cultural, and personal dimensions of Edward Said’s thought—from his groundbreaking work Orientalism to his enduring advocacy for Palestinian rights and his vision for justice and humanism in global affairs. The conversation also reflect on Said’s relevance in today’s world and Hovsepian’s unique insights as both a scholar and someone who knew Said personally. Moderator: Suzan Kenawy, AUC PRESS & BOOKSTORES www.aucpress.com www.aucbookstores.com About the speakers: Nubar Hovsepian is an associate professor emeritus of political science at Chapman University in Orange, California. He is the author of Palestinian State Formation: Education and the Construction of National Identity, and he edited and contributed to The War on Lebanon. Hovsepian has devoted enormous time to the Israel/Palestine conflict and served, from 1982 to 1984, as political affairs officer for the United Nations Conference on the Question of Palestine. David Barsamian, author, acclaimed journalist, interviewer, and award-winning radio host David Barsamian, founder of “Alternative Radio”.  He has authored books with Noam Chomsky, Eqbal Ahmad, Howard Zinn, Tariq Ali, Richard Wolff, Arundhati Roy, and Edward Said. He is the recipient of the Upton Sinclair Award, a Lannan Foundation Cultural Freedom Fellowship, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center. He has collaborated with the world-renowned Kronos Quartet in New York, London, Vienna, and elsewhere.    About the book: An exploration of the political thought of one of the twentieth century’s most influential thinkers and the foremost advocate for the Palestinian cause in the West Edward Said was one of the most influential intellectuals of the twentieth century. A literary scholar with an aesthete’s temperament, he did not experience his political awakening until the 1967 Arab–Israeli war, which transformed his thinking and led him to forge ties with political groups and like-minded scholars. Said’s subsequent writings, which cast light on the interplay between cultural representation and the exercise of Western political power, caused a seismic shift in scholarly circles and beyond. In this intimate intellectual biography, by a close friend and confidant, Nubar Hovsepian offers fascinating insight into the evolution of Said’s political thought.