On Friday (Oct. 29) Ira and I went to hear Cornel West speak at the Borders Bookstore downtown on State Street. Although the event was poorly organized, as Borders wasn't prepared for the overflow crowd, started the event late and neglected to shout off the store's loudspeakers, West's talk was captivating.
For about 35 or 40 minutes, West spoke extemporaneously on topics addressed in his new book, Democracy Matters: the fragility of the 'democratic experiment', the fact that the United States is an Empire, the need for Socratic questioners to interrogate imperialist orthodoxies, and the need to buttress and draw upon a Western (no pun intended) democratic tradition that can present a radical challenge to contemporary corporate nihilism.
West's talk was exactly what I expected and had hoped for -- a rousing sermon that introduced the audience to the major themes outlined in his new book. West is a master orator, and he had me, Ira and and many others in the audience on the verge of tears as he recounted examples of people having the courage to fight against oppression and exploitation.
I was the last person to get my book signed before West began speaking, and during our brief encounter I said something to the effect that his book provided me with hope during a particularly anxiety inducing historical moment. West appeared to appreciate my remark, but I noted that during his lecture, he emphasized the difference between hope and optimism. West insisted that, as a black man in the United States, he simply could not be optimistic (or pessimistic, for that matter).
Here's a picture of Cornel West in action. Unfortunately, all of the pictures that I shot turned out blurry, but I think this image conveys a sense of West's intellectual dynamism.
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