LEARN SOMETHING: SAMANTHA POWER

Chicagoist
March 11 2008
IL

Several years ago, we read Philip Gourevitch’s powerful book on the
1994 genocide in Rwanda, We Wish To Inform You…. This led us to
eventually pick up Samantha Power’s brilliant A Problem From Hell:
America in the Age of Genocide, winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for
General Nonfiction. Power’s book is a riveting look at the United
States’ policies, approaches — and more than occasional avoidance
— to genocide during the 20th Century, beginning with the Armenian
Genocide during World War I and running through the Kosovo War of
the late 1990’s. With it, Power established herself as one of the
leading experts and writers on U.S. Foreign Policy.

Now, Power is back with a new book, Chasing the Flame: Sergio Vieira
de Mello and the Fight to Save the World. The book focuses on the life
and work of Sergio Vieira de Mello, the Brazilian humanitarian who
was working as the U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Representative in
Iraq when he, and 21 members of his staff, were killed in the August
2003 bombing of the Canal Hotel in Baghdad.

Power will be in town on Wednesday, March 12, at the Chicago Public
Library’s Harold Washington Library Center as part of the "Facing
History and Ourselves" program to read from and discuss this new book
and, we’re sure, much more on the current state of world affairs. As
the war in Iraq reaches its fifth anniversary, we can’t think of a
better time to examine the life of a man who dedicated himself to
promoting peace and we can think of a better conduit through which
to learn about him than the gifted Power.

Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out Power being in the
news lately for her recent comments and subsequent resignation from
Team Obama, something that we’re sure will come up at her presentation
tomorrow.

Samantha Power, Wednesday, March 12, 5:30 pm, Harold Washington Library
Center, 400 S. State Street. The event is free, but a reservation is
required. Call 312-345-3203 for more information.