Saree Makdisi
Encyclopedia
Saree Makdisi is an American
literary critic of Palestinian and Lebanese descent, specializing in eighteenth and nineteenth century British literature
. He also writes on contemporary Arab
politics and culture. Makdisi currently holds the title of Professor of English and Comparative Literature at UCLA.
and his mother, Jean Said Makdisi, is a Palestinian independent scholar (formerly of Beirut University College). He is also the grandson of Anis K. Makdisi, a professor of Arabic
at American University of Beirut and the nephew of the late literary scholar, Edward Said
. In 2009, Makdisi gave the Edward Said Memorial lecture at Adelaide University.
He spent his early years in the United States, moving to Lebanon at the age of eight. While he grew up in a Christian family, they lived in a "largely Muslim neighborhood in Beirut." Makdisi returned to the United States for his final year in high school and also attended college there. He received his B.A. from Wesleyan University
in 1987, Ph.D. from Duke University
in 1993, and taught for a decade as an Assistant Professor, then an Associate Professor, of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Chicago
before joining UCLA in 2003.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
literary critic of Palestinian and Lebanese descent, specializing in eighteenth and nineteenth century British literature
British literature
British Literature refers to literature associated with the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. By far the largest part of British literature is written in the English language, but there are bodies of written works in Latin, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Cornish, Manx, Jèrriais,...
. He also writes on contemporary Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
politics and culture. Makdisi currently holds the title of Professor of English and Comparative Literature at UCLA.
Background
Makdisi was born in the United States (Washington). His father, Samir Makdisi, is a Lebanese professor of Economics at the American University of BeirutAmerican University of Beirut
The American University of Beirut is a private, independent university in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in 1866...
and his mother, Jean Said Makdisi, is a Palestinian independent scholar (formerly of Beirut University College). He is also the grandson of Anis K. Makdisi, a professor of Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
at American University of Beirut and the nephew of the late literary scholar, Edward Said
Edward Said
Edward Wadie Saïd was a Palestinian-American literary theorist and advocate for Palestinian rights. He was University Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University and a founding figure in postcolonialism...
. In 2009, Makdisi gave the Edward Said Memorial lecture at Adelaide University.
He spent his early years in the United States, moving to Lebanon at the age of eight. While he grew up in a Christian family, they lived in a "largely Muslim neighborhood in Beirut." Makdisi returned to the United States for his final year in high school and also attended college there. He received his B.A. from Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
in 1987, Ph.D. from Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
in 1993, and taught for a decade as an Assistant Professor, then an Associate Professor, of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
before joining UCLA in 2003.
Books
- Romantic Imperialism: Universal Empire and the Culture of Modernity (New York and Cambridge, Eng.: Cambridge University PressCambridge University PressCambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
, 1998) - William Blake and the Impossible History of the 1790s (Chicago: University of Chicago PressUniversity of Chicago PressThe University of Chicago Press is the largest university press in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including The Chicago Manual of Style, dozens of academic journals, including Critical Inquiry, and a wide array of...
, 2003) - Palestine Inside Out: An Everyday Occupation (WW Norton, 2008; revised and updated, with a new foreword by Alice WalkerAlice WalkerAlice Malsenior Walker is an American author, poet, and activist. She has written both fiction and essays about race and gender...
, 2010)
Articles and interviews
- "Domesticating Exoticism: Transformatons of Britain's Orient, 1785-1835" from Romantic Imperialism (Cambridge University Press, 1998).
- January 2009 radio interview about Palestine Inside Out: An Everyday Occupation on KPFAKPFAKPFA is a listener-funded progressive talk radio and music radio station located in Berkeley, California, broadcasting to the San Francisco Bay Area. KPFA airs public news, public affairs, talk, and music programming. The station signed on-the-air April 15 1949, as the first Pacifica Station...
.
Awards
- 2009 Arab American Book AwardArab American Book AwardThe Arab American Book Award was established in 2006 to celebrate and support the research of, and the written work of, Arab Americans and their culture. The Arab American Book Award encourages the publication and excellence of books that preserve and advance the understanding, knowledge, and...
, Honorable Mention:Palestine Inside Out: An Everyday Occupation