Rushdiespeak
Two interviews with Salman Rushdie. The Spiegel interview begins by calling him an expert on terror.
SPIEGEL: Mr. Rushdie, as an expert on terrorism you …And in The Telegraph:Rushdie: What gives me that honor? I don’t see myself as such at all.
SPIEGEL: Your book “Fury,” with its description of an America threatened by terrorism and published in spring 2001, was seen by many as prophetic — as more or less anticipating 9/11. Your most recent novel “Shalimar the Clown” describes how a circus performer from Kashmir is transformed into a terrorist. And for almost a decade your life was threatened by Iranian fanatics, with a price of $4 million on your head.
Rushdie: If you think that’s enough to qualify me as an expert on terrorism …
One thing that really gets him going is the odd but pervasive notion of Rushdie as a party dude to reckon with. While the reality may be very different, the enduring public perception of the post-fatwa Salman is of a gyrating daddio grooving away on dance floors across the capital and turning up to the opening of an envelope. What does he say to that?“Oh go and look in your nearest envelope! You will not find me in it. I do not have a wardrobe full of lamé clothes at home, you know. I spend most of my life doing serious things. There are no shocks left to learn about me. In fact,” he says, warming to his theme, “the problem with my life is that you know the whole f—ing thing! You know all the bits that are true. Even the bits are not true, you think you know those, too.”
Thanks to you, Uma, I visited the Der Spiegel site and found an additional article there. It’s titled “Did You Hear The One About Hitler?” Let me recommend it. It has more jokes in it.
Comment by Amitava Kumar — September 8, 2006 @ 2:16 am
Rushdie is funny, isn’t he? And so is the interviewer who called him
! just in different ways.Comment by Gauravonomics — September 8, 2006 @ 2:35 am
“the problem with my life is that you know the whole f—ing thing! You know all the bits that are true. Even the bits are not true, you think you know those, too.”
quite right, quite right!
Comment by Desi Music Lover — September 8, 2006 @ 8:40 am
You know all the bits that are true. Even the bits are not true, you think you know those, too.”
tsk tsk.. so true
Comment by Desi Music Lover — September 8, 2006 @ 8:44 am
Amitava, thanks! *grin*
Gaurav, :))
Comment by Uma — September 8, 2006 @ 3:13 pm