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A review by kenbooky
Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie
5.0
On August 12th, 2022, Salman Rushdie was attacked by an assailant during the Chautauqua writers' conference. This event inevitably cast yet another shadow over his work, having seemingly escaped prior risk with his previous work. My connection to Rushdie's work began in college during a Postcolonial Literature course, where we studied Midnight's Children. In that, Rushdie explores the lives of children born within the first hour of India's independence. This text served as a crucial story in my understanding postcolonial narratives beyond a Western perspective. My second connection comes from living near Pittsburgh's City of Asylum bookstore, a refuge for writers, inspired by Rushdie and established in response to the threats he faced after The Satanic Verses. City of Asylum provides a sanctuary for persecuted artists. Its presence in Pittsburgh underscores the global impact of Rushdie's work and the ongoing relevance of protecting freedom of expression.
My third connection comes from my job as a high school English teacher, in which I introduce my students to magical realism, a genre Rushdie is known to be one of the great names in reference to and is often associated with. This genre, along with discussions on freedom of speech and satirical writing, plays a significant role in my curriculum, particularly in light of Rushdie's experiences.
Rushdie's use of body politic imagery is notable throughout his work. In Midnight's Children, he represents India as a face, with its "ears" symbolizing territories vying for control. This metaphor takes on an unsettling significance when considered alongside the physical violence Rushdie later endured.Despite the gravity of its subject matter, Knife retains Rushdie's signature dark humor. His ability to inject humor into his narrative, even in the face of personal danger, is a testament to his distinctive voice. The book examines the intersection of writing, consequence, societal expectations, and the desire for normalcy in a world increasingly hostile to free expression.
My third connection comes from my job as a high school English teacher, in which I introduce my students to magical realism, a genre Rushdie is known to be one of the great names in reference to and is often associated with. This genre, along with discussions on freedom of speech and satirical writing, plays a significant role in my curriculum, particularly in light of Rushdie's experiences.
Rushdie's use of body politic imagery is notable throughout his work. In Midnight's Children, he represents India as a face, with its "ears" symbolizing territories vying for control. This metaphor takes on an unsettling significance when considered alongside the physical violence Rushdie later endured.Despite the gravity of its subject matter, Knife retains Rushdie's signature dark humor. His ability to inject humor into his narrative, even in the face of personal danger, is a testament to his distinctive voice. The book examines the intersection of writing, consequence, societal expectations, and the desire for normalcy in a world increasingly hostile to free expression.