Renowned author Salman Rushdie reflects on his life post-fatwa, the impact of his novels vs. reputation, navigating shadow selves, and the modern struggle with personal identity. He also recommends essential books like 'Don Quixote' and works by Kafka.
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Quick takeaways
Salman Rushdie's struggle to escape his reputation post-fatwa shows the lasting impact of personal attacks on identity.
The podcast delves into the intensity of a knife attack versus distant violence, unveiling the complexities of personal transformation.
Rushdie's post-attack focus on love and family reflects a shift towards cherishing life over professional success.
Deep dives
Podcast Overview
The podcast discusses Salman Rushdie's life, focusing on the attack he survived and its aftermath, where a fanatic attacked him, leaving him severely injured. The episode delves into Rushdie's background, his writing career, the incident at Chautauqua where he was attacked, and the impact it had on his identity and work.
Reflections on the Attack
The episode explores the intimate details of the attack, highlighting the intensity of a knife attack compared to violence at a distance. It touches on the attacker's background and motivation, revealing the complexity of the situation where personal transformation leads to attempted murder.
Struggle with Identity
Salman Rushdie's struggle to redefine himself post-attack is examined, emphasizing the challenge of being framed by the attack instead of his literary works. The episode reflects on Rushdie's fear of being overshadowed by the violent incident and the difficulty in reclaiming his identity.
Importance of Life and Relationships
After facing mortality, the narrative showcases Rushdie's newfound focus on love, family, and cherishing life. The episode underscores his shift towards a more personal and love-oriented perspective, prioritizing relationships and experiences over professional achievements.
Literary Recommendations
The episode concludes with Rushdie recommending three classic books: 'Don Quixote' for its accessibility and translation, '100 Years of Solitude' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez for its joyful narrative, and the works of Franz Kafka, particularly 'The Trial' and 'The Castle', reflecting on the relevance of Kafka's themes in modern society.
Salman Rushdie’s 1988 novel, “The Satanic Verses,” made him the target of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who denounced the book as blasphemous and issued a fatwa calling for his assassination. Rushdie spent years trying to escape the shadow the fatwa cast on him, and for some time, he thought he succeeded. But in 2022, an assailant attacked him onstage at a speaking engagement in western New York and nearly killed him.
“I think now I’ll never be able to escape it. No matter what I’ve already written or may now write, I’ll always be the guy who got knifed,” he writes in his new memoir, “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder.”
In this conversation, I asked Rushdie to reflect on his desire to escape the fatwa; the gap between the reputation of his novels and their actual merits; how his “shadow selves” became more real to millions than he was; how many of us in the internet age also have to contend with our many shadow selves; what Rushdie lives for now; and more.
This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Annie Galvin. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Isaac Jones. Our senior editor is Claire Gordon. The show’s production team also includes Rollin Hu, Kristin Lin and Aman Sahota. Original music by Isaac Jones. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. And special thanks to Sonia Herrero and Mrinalini Chakravorty.
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