Dan Brown returns Sep 14, 2009
Salman Rushdie famously said 'The Da Vinci Code' is "a novel so bad that it gives bad novels a bad name.". The Vatican accused the 'The Da Vinci Code' and its multitude of spinoffs, including a popular film starring Tom Hanks, of anti-Catholic prejudice. (iAfrica.com)
Rushdie steps out with married friend Sep 7, 2009
LONDON: author Salman Rushdie is rarely seen out without a striking woman towering over him but the controversial writer finally stepped out with a woman his own stature, albeit a married one. The 'Booker of Bookers Award' winning author made an appearance at the Venice Film Festival with Canadian-born former model Carolann Javicoli, reported Daily Mail online. (India Times, India)
• Essayist David Sedaris leads off lecture series lineup Aug 28, 2009
Novelist Salman Rushdie will speak Feb. 11, and Donna Shalala, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services from 1993 to 2001, will speak March 22 ... "Roxana Saberi, 7 p.m. Jan. 7, Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood, KetchumSaberi was abducted in January while working as a freelance journalist in Tehran. Accused of spying for the U.S. and sentenced to eight years in jail, Saberi spent 100 days in prison before she was released by President Ahmadinejad.Salman Rushdie, 7 p.m. Feb. 11, Limelight... (Burley South Idaho Press, ID)
Jaswant moves SC challenging book ban in Gujarat Aug 28, 2009
The expelled leader had criticized the ban, saying it amounted to banning thinking and likened the step to the one taken against noted author Salman Rushdie for his controversial work 'Satanic Verses. "The day we start banning books, we are banning thinking," said Singh, who was expelled by BJP. The controversial book lauds the founder of Pakistan and holds India's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru and its first home minister Vallabhbhai Patel responsible for the country's partition in 1947. (India Times, India -- Community News)
Jaswant moves SC over book ban Aug 28, 2009
Jaswant moves SC challenging book ban in Gujarat- Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times. Jaswant moves SC challenging book ban in Gujarat28 Aug 2009, 1206 hrs IST, Dhananjay Mahapatra, TNN. (India Times)
Iran's Most Wanted Aug 25, 2009
Somewhere hiding in Iran are people who were paid by its government to commit sectarian murders in Lebanon and Iraq, and who organized and carried out assassinations and assassination attempts against the editors and publishers of Salman Rushdie, a novelist then living in London. Everybody can now see that the Iranian government has forfeited any claim to legitimacy at home. (Slate)
Smokin' Salman Aug 21, 2009
SALMAN Rushdie is a hero to older men everywhere. At the "Inglourious Basterds" party at the Standard Grill the other night, the author was there as well as his gorgeous ex-wife, Padma Lakshmi. (New York Post -- Gossip)
Jaswant takes on Modi for book ban in Gujarat Aug 20, 2009
SHIMLA: Criticising a ban imposed on his book by Gujarat government, expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh on Thursday said it amounted to "banning thinking" and likened the step to the one taken against noted author Salman Rushdie for his controversial work 'Satanic Verses ... He said the step taken by Gujarat government was "another example of (action taken against) Salman Rushdie and Satanic Verses" which was banned for its controversial contents on Islam ... Drawing comparisons with Salman... (India Times, India)
Yale Press Nixes Muhammad Photos in New Book Aug 14, 2009
Jones, the author, borrowed a line from British author Salman Rushdie, whose novel "The Satanic Verses" enraged Iran's supreme leader and earned the author a religious edict approving his killing and putting bounty on his head. Without the freedom to offend, she told FOXNews. (Fox News)
Mos Def and the Boogeyman Jul 28, 2009
If you like politics and have HBO, or are just into YouTube, perhaps you've seen the video of rapper Mos Def and author Christopher Hitchens, bookending Salman Rushdie and Bill Maher on Maher's talk show, engaged in a conversation about the Taliban. It is a conversation that quickly devolves into the sort of scene that usually precedes a shouting match, or even a fistfight. (Slate)
61 postmodern reads Jul 25, 2009
Also, where are Angela Carter, Ishmael Reed, Gunter Grass, Salman Rushdie, William Gibson and Samuel Delaney, amongst others ... What about: Toni Morrison, Gunter Grass, Salman Rushdie, Jeanette Winterson ... I would not call Toni Morrison, Gunter Grass, Salman Rushdie, Jeanette Winterson, or VS Naipaul postmodern. (Harper's Magazine)
The Invention of Air by Steven John... Jul 24, 2009
He likens his historical subject to the modern day Salman Rushdie. And he tantalizes his readers with the influence Priestley had on the now famous exchange of letters between Adams and Jefferson. (Suite101.com)
Press reviews Jul 23, 2009
This staging of Kureishi's novel, set in the year of the death threats against Salman Rushdie for writing The Satanic Verses, could so easily have been the cue for a fascinating investigation of the roots of radical Islam. Instead what we got last night was a juvenile jaunt through a collection of implausible stereotypes spouting incoherent philosophy. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Sunday TV: Journos Jul 23, 2009
Twenty years ago, Iranian cleric Ruhollah Khomeini ordered Muslims to kill author Salman Rushdie over perceived blasphemy in the novel The Satanic Verses. It is said to be the first time in modern history that a government had publicly sought the death of a private citizen in another land. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Bahrain's Allure For Saudis Extends Beyond Alcohol Jul 21, 2009
Saudis buy books banned from shelves back home, such as novels by Salman Rushdie whose book "Satanic Verses" has been deemed blasphemous, said Howard Scott, who works at the Jashanmal Bookstore. Many Saudi artists unable to show their work openly in Saudi Arabia instead come to galleries such as the al riwaq, a prestigious facility in Manama showing contemporary art. (CBS News -- World)
Kureishi unveils Black Album play Jul 11, 2009
The year also marked the beginning of the fatwa against novelist Salman Rushdie for his book The Satanic Verses. The BBC's Kirsty Lang went along to see the play in rehearsal, and spoke to Kureishi about why he had decided to resurrect a 14-year-old novel. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Britain and Iran: My Uncle Albion Jul 11, 2009
In 1989 Iran s supreme cleric, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, urged Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie, a British writer. Britain s hospitality to the People s Mujahedeen of Iran, an Iranian opposition group, is another irritant. (The Economist)
Iran cleric threatens trial for British embassy staff Jul 4, 2009
s revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini against British writer Salman Rushdie sparked a new rupture in ties that were only restored in 1999. In 2007, Iran seized 15 British navy personnel on patrol in waters between Iraq and Iran and held them for 12 days. (Channelnewsasia.com)
Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo placed under arrest (AP) Jun 26, 2009
More than 150 writers and rights activists, including Salman Rushdie, Nadine Gordimer and Wole Soyinka, have signed an open letter to President Hu Jintao urging Liu's release. Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, also wrote Hu last month asking that Liu and other Chinese "prisoners of conscience" be released. (Yahoo News -- Technology)
Rushdie, Amitav Ghosh shortlisted for award Jun 26, 2009
NEW DELHI: The Vodafone-Crossword Book Awards 2008 shortlist is star-studded -- and finding place are "The Enchantress of Florence" by Salman Rushdie, "Sea of Poppies" by Amitav Ghosh, "Unaccustomed Earth" by Jhumpa Lahiri, "Past Continuous" by Neel Mukherjee and "Escape" by Manjula Padmanabhan. This was announced by a panel comprising publisher-writer Urvashi Butalia, authors Mani Shankar Mukherji and Namita Devidayal and founder of Crosswords Bookstore R Sriram in the capital on Thursday. (India Times)
ODDBALL ITEMS: More 'proof' that sex & sports don't mix Jun 25, 2009
With Iran in the news, this space pauses to recall the 1989 fatwa issued by the Ayatollah Khomeini, who demanded the head of author Salman Rushdie on a bed of rice for penning the supposedly blasphemous Satanic Verses. Rushdie had to go underground and has spent years dodging and outfoxing assassins while in the constant company of bodyguards. (SportsIllustrated.CNN)
Leading Chinese dissident charged with 'inciting subversion' Jun 25, 2009
When Liu, a literary critic and essayist, was taken from his home last December, leading authors from around the world, including Salman Rushdie, Umberto Eco, and Nadine Gordimer called for his release. Liu's arraignment puts an end to more than six months of detention at an unknown location, in contravention of Chinese law. (Christian Science Monitor)
Leading dissident accused of subversion Jun 25, 2009
Novelists such as Salman Rushdie and Umberto Eco, as well as Nobel laureates in literature including Irish poet Seamus Heaney, have also campaigned for Mr Liu's release. Agence France-Presse. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Authors urge Liu Xiaobo release Jun 24, 2009
Wole Soyinka, Salman Rushdie, JM Coetzee and Umberto Eco are among those demanding his immediate release. Mr Liu was arrested last month after he and hundreds of other Chinese intellectuals issued a wide-ranging call for political reform. (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
China arrests dissident Jun 24, 2009
Novelists such as Britain's Salman Rushdie and Italy's Umberto Eco, as well as Nobel laureates in literature including Irish poet Seamus Heaney, have also campaigned for Liu's release. AFP Digg. (iAfrica.com)
The Starting Point: Bad investments, fatherhood & the summer solstice Jun 20, 2009
Author Salman Rushdie, 62. Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, 64. (Yahoo News -- Politics)
Protests marking Suu Kyi birthday Jun 19, 2009
Celebrities including author Salman Rushdie and actors George Clooney and Julia Roberts have signed an online petition demanding that she be freed. The European Union has also renewed its calls for her "unconditional release". (BBC News)
Celebrity birthday wishes for Aung San Suu Kyi Jun 19, 2009
- Author Salman Rushdie wrote: "On this day, my birthday and yours, I always remember your long ordeal and silently applaud your endurance. This year, silence is impossible... It is your trial, not your struggle, that is unjust. On this day, on every day, I am with you.". - Richard Branson made a video tribute: "Happy 64th birthday Aung San Suu Kyi. We all support your incredible commitment to the people of Burma. Your unshakable moral courage is a shining light to all of us. Aung San has given... (Fresno Bee -- Local)
Colleges strive to ensure intellectual diversity Jun 18, 2009
The report highlights 40 examples at public and private institutions in 24 states, including a Tufts University lecture series that features speakers, such as historian Shelby Steele and author Salman Rushdie, who hold "provocative and perhaps controversial points of view," and a University of Missouri system requirement that orientation programs explain what students can do if they think they are being penalized because of their beliefs. BLOG: MORE: ON THE WEB. (USA Today)
Life By the Horns Jun 1, 2009
Stanley wrote this long ago, but he could have been writing about Salman Rushdie or Martin Amis or any of the effete writers of today. Moreover and this particularly appealed to me about Papa heroism was something that belonged to men. (The American Conservative)
20 BEST BEACH READS May 31, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009 Last Update: 07:55 AM EDT. WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM BOOKISH CELEBS, HERE ARE OUR PICKS FOR THIS SUMMER'S HOT ESCAPES. (New York Post -- Opinions)
Timeline: Iran May 30, 2009
Hardliners called for author Salman Rushdie's death. 1989 February - Ayatollah Khomeini issues a religious edict (fatwa) ordering Muslims to kill British author, Salman Rushdie, for his novel, 'The Satanic Verses', considered blasphemous to Islam. (BBC News -- Africa)
Online campaign gathers support for Suu Kyi May 29, 2009
UK PM Brown, author Salman Rushdie, have left online messages ... Author Salman Rushdie, who shares a birthday with Suu Kyi, wrote that he "silently applauded" her endurance. (CNN -- World)
Salman Rushdie 'to divorce' again May 22, 2009
Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie and his Indian actress wife, Padma Lakshmi are divorcing at her request, Mr Rushdie's spokeswoman says ... "Salman Rushdie has agreed to divorce his wife, Padma Lakshmi, because of her desire to end their marriage," Mr Rushdie's spokeswoman Jin Auh said. (Yahoo News -- Celebrity Couples)
Yusuf embraces Cat Stevens legacy on new CD May 18, 2009
In 1989, he says, British media misinterpreted his remarks in a lecture as supporting the Iranian fatwa condemning author Salman Rushdie. In 2005, he won libel damages from two British papers after they falsely claimed he supported terrorism. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Movie Review: Angels and Demons May 15, 2009
Say what you will about Brown's original novel author Salman Rushdie (The Satanic Verses) once said Brown's writing was "so bad it made bad look good" writers David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman have turned it into a taut little thriller. The tension never lets up as Langdon and his allies chase an elusive enemy through the streets of the Vatican City, while wondering just who is really on their side. (Suite101.com)
Free Roxana Saberi! May 9, 2009
In September 1988, the Indian-born British writer Salman Rushdie published "The Satanic Verses," a novel containing what some saw as an irreverent depiction of the prophet Mohamed. In February 1989 - exactly ten years after leading Iran's Islamic Revolution- the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling the book "blasphemous" and offering a bounty for Rushdie's murder. (Townhall.com)
Not All Ladies Love Salman Rushdie May 4, 2009
SALMAN Rushdie loves the ladies, but they don't all love him back. At Thursday's opening of Griffin, which occupies the Meatpacking Distri 00004000 ct space formerly held by P.M., a comely brunette was overheard telling her friend to "keep away from the lecherous old guy" as she motioned to the "Satanic Verses" author. (New York Post -- Gossip)
Lifestyles of the rich and famous May 2, 2009
The latest Sunday newspaper rich list supplement, an annual pornographic round-up in which men with large amounts of money perform the same emblematic function as women with large breasts, reveals that the steel mogul Lakshmi Mittal has indeed lost almost two-thirds of his money since he stopped going out with Salman Rushdie ... Padma Lakshmi, Salman Rushdie's ex-wife. (BBC News -- UK)
IN MY LIBRARY: SALMAN RUSHDIE Apr 28, 2009
Salman Rushdie's fighting a deadline: He has just one month to finish his second children's book in time for his son's 11th birthday. "I wrote my first children's book, 'Haroun and the Sea of Stories,' for my eldest son when he was 11, and now [Milan] insists on having his own book," he tells The Post's Barbara Hoffman -- though he won't reveal its title. (New York Post -- Opinions)
Cat at the mike but Islam holds court Apr 28, 2009
There was the storm in 1989 that followed his alleged support for the fatwa against Salman Rushdie. He has since alternated between admitting that he made comments in "bad taste" relating to putting Rushdie to death, and claiming innocence in the affair. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Fatwas Gone Wild Apr 18, 2009
This stems from what I expect is the most famous fatwa of modern times, the one the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran leveled against the author Salman Rushdie in 1989, accusing him of blaspheming Islam in his novel The Satanic Verses and sentencing him to death. In the ensuing years, the fatwas that have attracted the attention of most foreign correspondents (I spent five years in Cairo as bureau chief for the New York Times) have been those with some manner of grim punishment involved. (Slate)
'Buffy' creator receives award at Harvard Apr 11, 2009
(Previous winners include author Salman Rushdie and Bad Religion singer Greg Graffin. "Joss's shows talk about how to live a deeply ethical, moral life without traditional religion," explained Greg Epstein, the humanist chaplain at Harvard. (Boston Globe)
Bradley’s Buzz: Not much spring love for new-look Braves Apr 6, 2009
Nobody in the world not Salman Rushdie, not Philip Roth, not John Ashbery uses adverbs with the flair of the LSU coach. For most football men, a bon mot is saying, We ll have to watch the tape. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Sports)
Still defiant Apr 6, 2009
Following the imams' intervention, the lives of the 12 cartoonists changed irrevocably and they paid the same price as author Salman Rushdie. Only Mr Westergaard has come out of hiding. (BBC News -- Europe)
* SUNDAY PROFILE: Bill Maher is going straight to hell Apr 5, 2009
His panelists have included comics such as Roseanne Barr, Robin Williams and Sarah Silverman, novelists (Salman Rushdie), anti-globalization activists (Naomi Klein), political gadflies (Arianna Huffington), rappers (Mos Def, Will. I Am), and actors from Kevin Costner (dim) to Ben Affleck (sharp as a tack). (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Don't ask Anne Michaels what she had for breakfast Apr 4, 2009
She also joined Martin Amis, Philip Roth, the Vladimir Nabokov estate, Salman Rushdie and Tipper Gore in being represented by the world's most famous literary agent, Andrew Wylie, nicknamed "the Jackal.". But, in a sense, all this has just been so much marking time for The Winter Vault, which after its publication in Canada, England, Germany, Norway, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and the United States this spring will make its way into bookstores in Greece and Finland, Japan, Italy, Brazil... (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Help! I’m trapped in long, obligatory read! Apr 2, 2009
So who came first Salman Rushdie or Samuel Huntington. I just read that the muslim extremists are a big fan of Huntington s book. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Opinion)
Woody Harrelson, Salman Rushdie, Madonna Mar 28, 2009
Among the events, which will bring together 160 writers from 40 countries, is the Evolution/Revolution reading series on April 29, which will feature Edwidge Danticat, Salman Rushdie and Muriel Barbery, among other authors, reading in their original languages; an April 30 panel hosted by The New York Review of Books, "The Economic Crisis and How to Deal With It," including George Soros, Nouriel Roubini and Paul Krugman, the Nobel-winning columnist for The New York Times and the International... (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
The Myersons and the meaning of the misery memoir Mar 28, 2009
Not since Salman Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses" has a book so dominated newspaper headlines. It has even been covered in a prime-time TV news show, in which Julie Myerson revealed that Jake stole money from her, too. (Yahoo News)
Critic's corner Mar 27, 2009
Salman Rushdie, grilled. Dog Whisperer 8 p.m., National Geographic. (Boston Globe)
Does Islam Teach Intolerance? Mar 26, 2009
I was asked specifically about Salman Rushdies Satanic Verses and whether I thought the fatwa issued on his head was in tune with Islamic teaching ... I therefore said that I thought that Muslims should have written a fitting response to the Satanic Verses rather than ask that Salman Rushdie be killed. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Fareed Zakaria is India Abroad Person of the Year 2008 Mar 22, 2009
On hand to honour Mehta with the Award were previous winners, novelist Salman Rushdie and the economist couple Professor Jagdish Bhagwati and Professor Padma Desai. The India Abroad Publishers Award for Special Excellence -- a prize previously won by achievers like astronaut Sunita Williams -- was awarded to novelist Jhumpa Lahiri, who in 2008 published her third work of fiction, a collection of short stories titled Unaccustomed Earth that in unprecedented fashion debuted at the top of the... (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Author Salman Rushdie to Speak at Third Annual Gathering Mar 11, 2009
--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The internationally acclaimed author Salman Rushdie will be a featured speaker at the third annual Gathering event July 16-19, 2009 at Keystone College campus in Northeast Pennsylvania. ADVERTISEMENT. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Islam and freedom of speech Mar 8, 2009
Q: This month is the 20th anniversary of the fatwa against Salman Rushdie by the Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran. Back then, the West pretty much defended Rushdie. (Boston Globe)
Poll reveals UK's reading secrets Mar 6, 2009
Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie (14%) 8. In Remembrance of Things Past - Marcel Proust (9%) 9. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Most Britons have lied about the books they read Mar 5, 2009
Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie (14). 8. (Yahoo News)
'Slumdog' clears path for all things Indian Mar 4, 2009
Golf fans follow Vijay Singh, a Fijian of Indian descent, lifestyle junkies follow Deepak Chopra, and readers snatch up books by the likes of Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy and Jhumpa Lahiri. "We're trying to bridge the gap between East and West, and there's a natural musical and creative synergy between Western music and classic Indian music," especially the rhythmic Bhangra genre that blends well with hip-hop, says Ted Chung, chairman of the Cashmere Agency, a Los Angeles company that brought... (USA Today -- Life)
Salman's slur: Mar 3, 2009
Salman Rushdie, far right,has slammed the plot of Slumdog Millionaire, starring Dev Patel, left, and Freida Pinto ... British-Indian author Salman Rushdie has attacked the plot of multiple Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire as a "patently ridiculous conceit". (Sydney Morning Herald)
Rushdie dubs SLUMDOG ridiculous... Mar 2, 2009
British-Indian author Salman Rushdie has attacked the plot of multiple Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire" as a "patently ridiculous conceit". Rushdie wrote in Britain's Guardian newspaper that the central feature of the film -- that a boy from the Mumbai slums manages to succeed on the Indian TV version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" -- "beggars belief.". (The Drudge Report)
VIEW: Hello, pot. This is kettle. Feb 26, 2009
Salman Rushdie writer extraordinaire, multiple Booker prize winner, darling of the paparazzi has waded in to deal a couple of blows to the little movie that's taken the world by storm. And what is his critique. (India Times, India)
ITEMS OF DISINTEREST: Hit lists, media dolts, palm lumps Feb 26, 2009
The next Salman Rushdie ... Tipped off by CIA spooks that he may be ventilated by a spiral-eyed assassin at any moment, the terrified former Bash Brother is now said to be bunking out with Salman Rushdie at an undisclosed location in London. (SportsIllustrated.CNN)
Free and cheap things to do Feb 24, 2009
Films will be introduced by Salman Rushdie. In White Hall. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Travel)
Rushdie slams 'Slumdog Millionaire' Feb 24, 2009
Washington: India-born "Satanic Verses" author Salman Rushdie is not impressed by the triumph of "Slumdog Millionaire" at the 81st Academy Awards and says the movie "piles impossibility on impossibility". In a speech at Atlanta's Emory University, Rushdie called the book and movie nothing more than "feel-good". (Sify.com, India)
Rushdie: 'Slumdog' laden with impossible scenes Feb 23, 2009
ATLANTA (AP) - Famed novelist Salman Rushdie apparently wasn't too impressed with the Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire," telling an Atlanta audience it "piles impossibility on impossibility.". Rushdie, who spent years in hiding after Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini called for the author's death in 1989, made the remarks Sunday during a speech to more than 1,000 people at Atlanta's Emory University. (KOLD.com, AZ)
