By Maira Butt, The Independent | Archive
Noam Chomsky’s health has deterioriated following a medical event, leaving him unable to communicate, his former assistant has revealed.
The 95-year-old famed linguist has not been seen in public since June last year, with many commenting on the weight of his absence from the broader debate surrounding the war in Gaza.
Chomsky, who has been vocal about his support for the Palestinian cause and what he has called the “crimes” of the Israeli state, has been notably absent from demonstrations and discussions on the issue over the last year.
In a post shared by Media Lens, it was revealed that the MIT professor is unlikely to ever return to the public eye following the deterioration of his health.
The post quoted Professor Chomsky’s former assistant Bev Stohl, who first shared the news on a reddit forum as she explained why the usually responsive academic “hasn’t been returning emails, or interviewing”.
Stohl, who worked as Chomsky’s office manager at MIT for 24 years until her retirement in 2017, wrote on 5 February: “I’m in contact with a close family member, and we know the basics, and hope to know more in the near future.
“In a nutshell, Noam is 95-years-old and suffered a medical event in June. As many have noticed, he has not been writing, corresponding, or interviewing, as his health situation has taken the majority of his time and energy.
“He is still with us, now watching the news (he doesn’t look happy about what he’s watching).”
Stohl shared further details on the linguist’s ability to communicate, adding that he was no longer mobile or walking either.
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(AFP via Getty Images)
“His ability to speak is complicated by factors I can’t yet disclose,” she continued. “When the relative I’m in touch with visited him a month ago, he did not communicate with her.
“He is not ambulatory. I’m not sure for how long this will go on. He is not in pain. His eyes are open and he seems to be watching what’s happening around him.”
The assistant, who also wrote a memoir titled Chomsky and Me on her time working with the world-renowned thinker, provided an update in April as she wrote, “Noam has not made significant progress, I’m sorry to say. I doubt he will be able to return to the public eye, as he is not communicating much if at all.”
Some of the comments have since been deleted as Stohl edited a post to say that Chomsky’s “family is very private” and she will “no longer be adding to this discussion”.
The Independent has contacted Noam Chomsky and his literary agent for comment.
Tributes have poured in from across the media industry as many noted the linguist’s passion for language, having dedicated over seven decades to the study of words and communication, and expressed sadness at his now limited ability.
Nathan Robinson, founder and editor of socialist magazine, Current Affairs, is also co-author of Chomsky’s forthcoming book, The Myth of American Idealism: How US Foreign Policy Endangers the World. He wrote: “Chomsky has been unbelievably kind over the years I’ve known him.
“He treats everyone as an equal. Doesn’t care who you are. He would give as much of his time to a high school student as some celebrity or NYT reporter. And devoted himself to attacking cruelty and injustice.
“So many thousands of people have stories about how he has changed their lives. He certainly changed mine.”
British-American journalist and Zeteo founder Mehdi Hasan added, “Sending prayers Noam’s way. There has been no one else like him in our lifetime.”
Noam Chomsky’s health has deterioriated following a medical event, leaving him unable to communicate, his former assistant has revealed.
The 95-year-old famed linguist has not been seen in public since June last year, with many commenting on the weight of his absence from the broader debate surrounding the war in Gaza.
Chomsky, who has been vocal about his support for the Palestinian cause and what he has called the “crimes” of the Israeli state, has been notably absent from demonstrations and discussions on the issue over the last year.
In a post shared by Media Lens, it was revealed that the MIT professor is unlikely to ever return to the public eye following the deterioration of his health.
The post quoted Professor Chomsky’s former assistant Bev Stohl, who first shared the news on a reddit forum as she explained why the usually responsive academic “hasn’t been returning emails, or interviewing”.
Stohl, who worked as Chomsky’s office manager at MIT for 24 years until her retirement in 2017, wrote on 5 February: “I’m in contact with a close family member, and we know the basics, and hope to know more in the near future.
“In a nutshell, Noam is 95-years-old and suffered a medical event in June. As many have noticed, he has not been writing, corresponding, or interviewing, as his health situation has taken the majority of his time and energy.
“He is still with us, now watching the news (he doesn’t look happy about what he’s watching).”
Stohl shared further details on the linguist’s ability to communicate, adding that he was no longer mobile or walking either.
(AFP via Getty Images)
“His ability to speak is complicated by factors I can’t yet disclose,” she continued. “When the relative I’m in touch with visited him a month ago, he did not communicate with her.
“He is not ambulatory. I’m not sure for how long this will go on. He is not in pain. His eyes are open and he seems to be watching what’s happening around him.”
The assistant, who also wrote a memoir titled Chomsky and Me on her time working with the world-renowned thinker, provided an update in April as she wrote, “Noam has not made significant progress, I’m sorry to say. I doubt he will be able to return to the public eye, as he is not communicating much if at all.”
Some of the comments have since been deleted as Stohl edited a post to say that Chomsky’s “family is very private” and she will “no longer be adding to this discussion”.
The Independent has contacted Noam Chomsky and his literary agent for comment.
Tributes have poured in from across the media industry as many noted the linguist’s passion for language, having dedicated over seven decades to the study of words and communication, and expressed sadness at his now limited ability.
Nathan Robinson, founder and editor of socialist magazine, Current Affairs, is also co-author of Chomsky’s forthcoming book, The Myth of American Idealism: How US Foreign Policy Endangers the World. He wrote: “Chomsky has been unbelievably kind over the years I’ve known him.
“He treats everyone as an equal. Doesn’t care who you are. He would give as much of his time to a high school student as some celebrity or NYT reporter. And devoted himself to attacking cruelty and injustice.
“So many thousands of people have stories about how he has changed their lives. He certainly changed mine.”
British-American journalist and Zeteo founder Mehdi Hasan added, “Sending prayers Noam’s way. There has been no one else like him in our lifetime.”
