In his talk in March 2014, Lebanese writer Dr. Elias Khoury discussed the Arab Spring and subsequent regime change. The movement started as a spontaneous and popular phenomenon without intellectual theorization, yet today Arab societies are more than ever divided and polarized over the future. Dr. Khoury examined the role of the Arab intellectual and offered a critical approach to the cultural vacuum in the Middle East.  Khoury is editor of the Journal of Palestine Studies and Global Distinguished Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at New York University. The presentation was part of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Culture’s Distinguished Scholars Series. It was co-sponsored by the Department of English and the Office of the Deputy Provost, with additional support from the Department of Political Science and International Relations and the Center for Global and Areas Studies.