Oh dear. The rumours are true: Terry Eagleton will not be able to join Martin Amis in debate this evening in Manchester, due to his “international commitments” (and not—as was made clear to me by the University when I phoned up to check—not in any way because he may have bottled it).
There should still be some lively discussing going on, however, as Amis is being joined by both the translator, author, teacher and journalist Maureen Freely (best known for her translations of Orhan Pamuk) and by Ed Husain, author of The Islamist. A piece Husain wrote for Comment is Free yesterday gives some taste of his likely attitude towards “Martin Amis, who has found Islam a convenient whipping boy for all things religious”—feelings, doubtless, will be running high on all sides.
In the absence of Eagleton, live blogging doesn’t seem the most interesting way to report on the event: so instead, my laptop and I will divulge a detailed report onto this blog later this evening. Stand by for breezy observations on the clash of civilizations.
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Dear Sir:
As a professor in the university of life, easing many tomes off the shelves of the library of socialism, I can tell the learned editor that life-coaching is a very busy business – there are many people who need to be focused into a state on which they can build toward a different career path or toward a greater future in their chosen profession.
It is somewhat churlish to complain about professors that they are too busy to respond to all of their many emails and invites, and if it is true for an ordinary chappie who professes his trade on the streets or in the countryside of the lake districts of Britain, then it is much more the case with real professors holding down real tenure in real professorships in real universities.
A little patience please with all of us,
Rio
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