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Salman Rushdie's memoir 'Knife' recounts his attack and recovery

By NPR (podcasts@npr.org)

In this episode from NPR's Book of the Day podcast, author Salman Rushdie reflects on the harrowing 2022 attack that left him severely injured, including permanent vision loss. He recounts the attack and his difficult recovery process, crediting his wife Eliza as a steadfast support throughout.

Rushdie shares spiritual and philosophical reflections sparked by the traumatic event. He discusses the impact on his identity as a writer and public figure, and reaffirms his vocation beyond the lingering association with "The Satanic Verses" controversy. Through vivid detail, Rushdie prevents the attack from defining him, using his memoir to reclaim his core role as a novelist.

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Salman Rushdie's memoir 'Knife' recounts his attack and recovery

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Salman Rushdie's memoir 'Knife' recounts his attack and recovery

1-Page Summary

Rushdie's experience of the 2022 attack and its aftermath

In vivid detail, Salman Rushdie recounts the harrowing attack where he suffered multiple stab wounds, including permanent vision loss in one eye. Though severely injured, Rushdie notes his "luck" in the assailant's lack of fatal technique and the proximity of a trauma hospital.

The role of Rushdie's wife and personal relationships in his recovery

Rushdie speaks glowingly of his wife Eliza, whom he calls the "clear hero" in aiding his difficult recovery. Her steadfast support, including accompanying him during his emotional return to the attack site, was crucial. Rushdie emphasizes finding love "late in life" with Eliza as a profound gift after his trauma.

Rushdie's spiritual and philosophical reflections on the attack

While affirming his skepticism after experiencing no "tunnel of light" near-death phenomena, Rushdie ponders the paradox of his novels exploring the magical and miraculous. He views surrealism as vital for capturing an increasingly insane reality. Rushdie metaphorically uses his memoir as a "knife" to resist solely being defined by the attack.

The impact of the attack on Rushdie's identity as a writer and public figure

Frustrated by overshadowing association with "The Satanic Verses" controversy, Rushdie urges readers to engage with his extensive literary works beyond this event. In reclaiming his novelist identity, Rushdie revisited the attack site, symbolically refusing reduction to victimhood and affirming his vocation.

1-Page Summary

Additional Materials

Actionables

  • You can write a personal narrative exploring a challenging event in your life to gain a new perspective on it. Start by jotting down the facts, then delve into your emotions and thoughts during the event. This can help you process your experiences and possibly find a new understanding or appreciation for the role it has played in shaping who you are.
  • Create a visual art piece, like a collage or painting, that represents a pivotal moment in your life, focusing on the transformation rather than the event itself. Use colors, textures, and imagery to express the emotions and growth that came from the experience. This can serve as a daily reminder of your resilience and the positive changes that emerged from adversity.
  • Establish a ritual to symbolically reclaim your sense of self following a personal setback, such as visiting a place that holds special meaning to you or performing an activity that reflects your passions and identity. This act of reclaiming can reinforce your personal narrative as someone who overcomes challenges, rather than being defined by them.

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Salman Rushdie's memoir 'Knife' recounts his attack and recovery

Rushdie's experience of the 2022 attack and its aftermath

In a vivid recounting of the harrowing events of 2022, Salman Rushdie shares the details of the attack he suffered and its lingering effects on his health and perspective on life.

Rushdie vividly recounts the details of the attack, including how the assailant suddenly sprinted onto the stage and stabbed him repeatedly.

Rushdie describes seeing a man rise from the audience, rush towards him on stage, and begin attacking him with a knife. Initially, he did not see the knife and thought he had only been hit, but the sight of blood made him realize he was being stabbed. He has tried to count his wounds multiple times but keeps losing track, estimating at least 12, possibly 13, or 14 stab wounds.

Despite the severity of the attack, Rushdie acknowledges that he was also "very lucky" in several ways, including the proximity of a trauma hospital and the fact that the assailant did not know how to effectively kill with a knife.

Rushdie explains that he was fortunate to have a trauma hospital nearby in Pennsylvania, reachable by helicopter, and how sunny weather allowed for his swift aerial transport, which likely saved his life. He notes a surgeon's remarks about his luck post-attack, stating that his assailant lacked the knowledge to kill someone effectively with a knife. This lack of skill led to haphazard stabbing rather than fatal precision.

Rushdie's recovery has involved a long, difficult process, including the permanent loss of vision in one eye and lack of feeling in two fingers on his left hand.

Rushdie details his re ...

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Rushdie's experience of the 2022 attack and its aftermath

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Actionables

  • You can create a personal safety plan that includes identifying the nearest medical facilities wherever you go. This means mapping out hospitals or trauma centers when traveling to new places or attending events, ensuring you know the quickest route to get medical help if needed.
  • Develop a gratitude journal focused on the unexpected positives in life, like surviving difficult situations. Write daily entries about small wins or fortunate events, which can help you appreciate the role of chance and luck in your own life.
  • Engage in a creative expression activity, such as ...

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Salman Rushdie's memoir 'Knife' recounts his attack and recovery

The role of Rushdie's wife and personal relationships in his recovery

In Salman Rushdie's new memoir, he expresses great affection and gratitude for his wife, Eliza, referring to her as the "clear hero" throughout his journey of recovery.

Rushdie speaks with great affection and gratitude for his wife, Eliza, who he describes as a "clear hero" of his story.

Rushdie's recount of his first meeting with Eliza is filled with dramatic irony, as he narrates a comically foreshadowing incident. He was so entranced by her presence that he walked into a glass door, resulting in his glasses cutting his nose—a mishap that left him concerned he might pass out from the bleeding. Despite the initial accident, their connection is evidently profound and Eliza's role in Rushdie's life becomes a mainstay in his narrative.

Rushdie recounts how he first met Eliza in a comically foreshadowing incident, where he walked into a glass door while distracted by her presence.

Eliza's steadfast support is poignantly illustrated by Rushdie's insistence on not facing his challenges alone, especially when revisiting the site of his stabbing. He recalls a specific moment during this visit, articulating a palpable sense of relief as if a heavy weight had been physically lifted from his shoulders.

Eliza's unwavering support and presence were crucial during Rushdie's recovery, including accompanying him on his difficult return to the attack site.

Mary Louise Kelly, referring to Eliza's accompaniment during this significant event, emphasizes her support. For Eliza, having never seen the location, it ...

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The role of Rushdie's wife and personal relationships in his recovery

Additional Materials

Actionables

  • You can express gratitude to your partner by creating a personalized "gratitude journal" where you document daily the small acts of kindness and support they offer, reflecting on how these actions contribute to your well-being and resilience.
    • Keeping a gratitude journal specifically for your partner helps you recognize and appreciate their role in your life. For example, if they make you coffee in the morning, note how that simple act sets a positive tone for your day. Over time, sharing entries from this journal can strengthen your relationship by openly acknowledging their contributions.
  • Try turning a shared mishap or humorous event into a bonding experience by writing a short story or comic strip together that illustrates the incident.
    • This activity not only allows you to relive a funny moment but also encourages collaboration and creativity in your relationship. For instance, if you both got lost on a hike, you could create a comic strip showing your misadventure, complete with speech bubbles and funny twists, which can later serve as a unique keepsake.
  • Reinforce the importance of support in relationships by planning a "suppo ...

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Salman Rushdie's memoir 'Knife' recounts his attack and recovery

Rushdie's spiritual and philosophical reflections on the attack

Rushdie's brush with death has led him to question his longstanding skepticism about the supernatural and miraculous.

Salman Rushdie reflects on his near-death experience, which he feels underscores his belief in the absence of the supernatural. He describes that while he was lying on the ground, on the brink of death, there were no "choirs of angels" or "tunnel of light"; it was just "somebody physically lying on the ground, bleeding to death." This absence of a spiritual encounter during such a critical moment reaffirmed his skepticism regarding the supernatural.

Rushdie notes that his near-death experience lacked any "choirs of angels" or "tunnel of light," simply a man bleeding to death, which reinforced his lack of belief in the supernatural.

Yet Rushdie also recognizes a paradox between his disbelief in miracles and the content of his books, which are replete with magical and surreal elements. He muses that perhaps through his novels, he has allowed the miraculous to leap from fiction into reality.

However, Rushdie acknowledges that his own fictional works have long explored the realm of the magical and surreal, suggesting a dissonance between his writing and his personal beliefs.

Rushdie suggests that the "craziness of the world" requires a more surreal, rather than strictly realistic, approach to capturing it in his writing.

Explaining his literary choices, Rushdie suggests that traditional realism is insufficient to capture the true nature of an increasingly insane world. With daily news underscoring the world's surreal nature, R ...

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Rushdie's spiritual and philosophical reflections on the attack

Additional Materials

Counterarguments

  • While Rushdie's personal experience did not include supernatural elements, others might argue that spiritual experiences are subjective and can't be universally confirmed or denied based on one individual's encounter.
  • Some might suggest that the presence of magical elements in Rushdie's work indicates an unconscious fascination or openness to the supernatural, which could contradict his professed skepticism.
  • Critics of surrealism might argue that while it offers a unique perspective, realism remains a vital and effective literary approach for confron ...

Actionables

  • Explore your skepticism by journaling about personal experiences that challenge your beliefs, noting how you reconcile these events with your worldview. This exercise can help you understand your own paradoxes, much like Rushdie's disbelief in miracles versus the magical elements in his writing. For example, if you've ever experienced a coincidence that felt like fate, write about how you explain it to yourself.
  • Create a short story or piece of art that incorporates surreal elements to express your feelings about current events. This can be a therapeutic way to process complex emotions and make sense of the world, similar to how Rushdie uses surrealism to capture its craziness. You might depict a day in your life with exaggerated, dream-like twists that highlight the absurdities you perceive.
  • Use metaphors and analogies ...

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Salman Rushdie's memoir 'Knife' recounts his attack and recovery

The impact of the attack on Rushdie's identity as a writer and public figure

After the fatwa and the subsequent attack, Salman Rushdie expresses his frustration with being defined by these events rather than his work as a novelist, a career to which he has devoted the majority of his life.

Rushdie's commitment to his literary career despite overshadowing events

Salman Rushdie urges readers to engage with his extensive body of work, which extends far beyond "The Satanic Verses" and the attack associated with it. He recommends more recent novels like "Victory City," suggesting it and others such as "Midnight's Children" and "Haroun and the Sea of Stories," as better starting points to understand his literature. This diversity of work, Rushdie implies, provides a more comprehensive view into his career and talents as a writer.

Despite the overshadowing nature of the fatwa and the attack, Rushdie considers some of his novels to be quite good and believes that they deserve more attention. However, he recognizes that this notoriety might be what he is best known for, although it has introduced his writing to new readers—a situation he notes he would have preferred to come about under different circumstances.

Reclaiming identity through memoir and personal res ...

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The impact of the attack on Rushdie's identity as a writer and public figure

Additional Materials

Actionables

  • You can explore the full spectrum of an author's work by creating a reading challenge that includes lesser-known titles. Start by selecting an author you're familiar with for one popular work, then research and compile a list of their other books, especially those that haven't received as much attention. Set a goal to read these over a set period, such as one year, and keep a journal to note different themes and styles you discover that aren't present in their most famous work.
  • Dive into the historical context of an author's lesser-known works by organizing a book club focused on deep dives into selected novels. Choose books by an author that are overshadowed by their more notorious works and arrange monthly meetings where you and fellow readers discuss the historical and cultural background of the book's setting. This can lead to a richer understanding of the author's intentions and the nuances of their writing.
  • Use creative writing to explore and refl ...

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