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| | Obituary: Edward Said | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited |
 | | Edward Said, who has died aged 67, was one of the leading literary critics of the last quarter of the 20th century. |
 | | Said's first name, improbably inspired by the Prince of Wales, was the creation of his parents, whom he would come to see as "self-creations" out of an eclectic blend of elements and aspirations: American lore culled from magazines and his father's memories, missionary influence, incomplete and hence eccentric schooling, British colonial attitudes. |
 | | Said's engagement with Palestine drew on deep emo tional roots, particularly his affection for his Jerusalem aunt Nabiha, his father's sister, who, after 1948, devoted her life to working with Palestinian refugees in Cairo, although she never discussed the political aspects of the dispute in Said's presence. |
| www.guardian.co.uk /israel/Story/0,2763,1049931,00.html (1863 words) |
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