The Selected Works of Edward Said gathers the essential writings of one of the most influential intellectuals of the late twentieth century across his four-decade career. Said, professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia until his death in 2003, transformed multiple fields including literary criticism, postcolonial studies, and Middle Eastern politics. This collection includes key excerpts from Orientalism, his groundbreaking critique of Western representations of the East; Culture and Imperialism, which extended his analysis to the relationship between literature and empire; and Out of Place, his memoir of a childhood divided between Jerusalem, Cairo, and American boarding schools. The volume also gathers essays on music, including his writings on piano and opera, and his political commentary on Palestine, intellectual exile, and the responsibilities of scholars. Careful editorial selection creates a portrait of Said's evolving thought and consistent concerns: the relationship between knowledge and power, the possibility of humanism amid cultural conflict, and the experience of living between worlds. For readers new to Said, this volume offers the best introduction; for those already familiar with his work, it provides convenient access to writings scattered across many publications.