I am a scholar in the areas of literary criticism, theory, and philosophy. Though I normally teach in the Department of English at Rutgers University, in recent years I have endeavored to enhance my linguistic and cultural breadth by teaching and researching in the Middle East, first at the Gulf University for Science and Technology in Kuwait, then as Visiting Professor at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, and now at the universities of al-Azhar and Ain Shams in Egypt. My publications include what is regarded as the most comprehensive history of literary criticism in English, an examination of T.S. Eliot’s connections with the Western philosophical tradition, extensive studies of Hegel’s influences on theory and empire, and translations of Urdu poetry.

My interests have also begun to extend to Islamic philosophy and literature, as well as Post-Colonial studies and World literature. I have translated the Qur’an into English verse, in collaboration with the distinguished Islamic scholar Bruce Lawrence (The Quran: A Verse Translation, W.W. Norton/Liveright, 2024). I believe that it is a matter of some urgency to foster an improved mutual understanding between the Islamic world and Western cultures.

I believe that, in an era where existing democracies are under various kinds of threat, and where democracies in diverse parts of the world are struggling to be born, it is important that we promote and disseminate the skills of critical reading and writing in order to foster an informed and responsible participation in the democratic process. I don’t regard learning as merely an intellectual experience but as a moral, emotional and political process, whose deepest roots and profoundest inspiration lie in humility, humanity and compassion.