The texts in this book are the fruit of a conversation that lasted for almost a quarter of a century. Stathis Gourgouris and Edward Said met in the late 1980s and built an intellectual and friendly relationship that lasted until the latter's death in 2003. The texts themselves emerged over this span of time and reflect the evolution not only of this fruitful relationship but also of international socio-political and cultural developments. This edition is a small contribution to the field of critical theory and thought at this especially critical juncture for Palestine, the place of its most important - though perpetually out of place - intellectual, Said, and for all humanity. (From the presentation on the back cover of the book)