http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2011/06/naipaul-theroux-reconciliation-handshake-video.html
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2011/06/naipaul-theroux-reconciliation-handshake-video.html#ixzz1O5KcKOnG
June 1, 2011
THE NAIPAUL-THEROUX HANDSHAKE, CAUGHT ON VIDEO
Talk about being in the right place at the right time: Reza Aslan was at the Hay Festival last weekend, where he gave a talk about his latest project—the gorgeous, comprehensive “Tablet and Pen: Literary Landscapes from the Modern Middle East,” a collection of Middle Eastern essays, fiction, and poetry from the past hundred years in English translation—and was in the green room when Paul Theroux and V. S. Naipaul had their encounter. Aslan happened to be taking a video with his phone, when, to his surprise, Theroux approached Naipaul and offered his hand. As Aslan put it on his Twitter feed (he’s @rezaaslan): “Holy Cow! I caught first face to face reconciliation of Paul Theroux & VS Naipaul. Magical moment.”
Aslan sent us the video, which we’ve posted above, and I have to say: it really is a magical moment. I can’t believe how happy and relaxed the two authors look. After all that! (If you don’t know what the all that is, check out the rundown of their feud I posted yesterday). It’s enough to make you wish more great authors had fights like this, so that we might watch them make up.
(Note: the audio isn’t stellar, but you can just hear Theroux tell Naipaul that he’s missed him, and Naipaul say, “When you get old...” a beginning which we can perhaps all complete for ourselves. You can also hear the amused tone in Nadira Naipaul’s voice as she shakes hands and tells Theroux it’s nice to see him.)
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Read more http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2011/06/naipaul-theroux-reconciliation-handshake-video.html#ixzz1O5KcKOnG
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