There are people whose reach and generosity is only fully
understood when they go. Stuart Hall was such a man. He was the reason I did
cultural studies and went to work at Marxism Today in the 80s. I hardly knew
him, but I knew his work well and it was never just "writing" to me.
Hall's words were political interventions that changed the terms of the debate
– about what Thatcherism meant and how it could be opposed; about race; about
class; about culture. This sounds complicated, but to see him speak was to be
overwhelmed by his charisma, his eloquence, his desire to include everybody in
the room, his sheer moral force.
"My God!" I remember saying. "This man should
be in charge of the universe." But then he would sit next to you in some
godforsaken canteen at some conference and ask you about your kids.
