What is bizzarre about it? Which reading? The one on pp 152-6 of Orientalism is pretty generous and spot-on, or do you deny the Orientalist moment in the Old Moor himself. Do I need to dig up the references to "Chinese stupidity," vegetative Asiatics, the AMP, and the like? Do you not think Marx -- and some Marxisms -- are infected by eurocentrism. I am with Amin and Meszaros on this, amongst others. You've yet to say what is notable, or what is the argument, in that first chapter. Read my post on it if you've the impulse; the bit about cows farting is both funny and I think telling.
I think you meant to refer to Sprinker's guest edited collection on AA in Public Culture. I remember that, sort of. Wasnt that the one with Partha Chatterjee amongst oher stalwarts, all 9 of whom, except for the late and sorely missed Michael Sprinker took AA to the rug. I remember Chatterjee, in particular, questioning AA's posing as the Voice of India/3rd World, through his self-professed affiliation at JNU in Dehli, where he visited for a semester or two, having spent the previous 12 years at Rutgers, b/f he became notable for ranting about fellow, more sucessful academics. ------------------------------------------------------ Daniel F. Vukovich Dept. of English; The Unit for Criticism University of Illinois Urbana, IL 61801 ------------------------------------------------------