I was rather shocked to read, over the weekend, that journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anthony Shadid had died, of asthma complications, at the age of 43.
I don't know that I've written about it before, but if you haven't read Shadid's book Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War, you should. His death is a real loss: he was one of the few people who could write about the Middle East like he had a brain in his head.*
*A new book of his is due out this spring as well, titled House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family, and a Lost Middle East.
I was stunned as well. :( Agreed re: Night Draws Near. I requested one of his earlier books from the library and plan to read it in honour of him, until his new title comes out.
Posted by: Eva | 21 February 2012 at 09:45 PM
Anthony Shadid was really one of the generation's finest reporters. He had all the features of character that a reporter and a great person should have
Posted by: mspy review | 22 February 2012 at 03:09 AM
Eva,
Let me know what you think of anything else of his that you read, would you? His new title's being released earlier than planned so you shouldn't have too long to wait.
Posted by: Citizen Reader | 22 February 2012 at 10:25 PM
I will let you know; I had to ILL it, but Legacy of the prophet : despots, democrats, and the new politics of Islam is waiting for me to pick up at the library. He was so young. :(
Posted by: Eva | 23 February 2012 at 12:04 PM