--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "John" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "John" <jr_esq@> wrote: > > > > > > To All: > > > > > > This may be an opinion by a one guy. But the opinion is food > > > for thought as to what Americans are writing about. > > > > Gotta agree with the gentleman. Toni Morrison > > was a good choice, but name me even one American > > writing today who is in the same class as Orhan > > Pamuk or Doris Lessing or Harold Pinter or V.S. > > Naipaul or Gunter Grass. > > George W. Bush is the greatest story teller in the last decade.
I will assume that this is ironic. :-) However, just to create a sense of contrast, and of possibilities, there is one winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature who was also a politician, Sir Winston Churchill, "for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for bril- liant oratory in defending exalted human values." > > The Nobel Prize for > > Literature is a "lifetime achievement" award, > > and never for a single book. It is also meant > > to reward "the most outstanding work of an > > idealistic tendency." > > > > I'm sorry, but American writers rarely create > > a consistently excellent body of work, and their > > tendency to be self-absorbed and whine tends to > > render the writers devoid of ideals, compared > > to writers in other parts of the world. > > > > Besides, two of the recent winners listed my > > favorite author as their favorite author, so > > that raises them up higher in my estimation > > than the prize does. :-) > > > > > ************ > > > > > > Nobel literature chief: US writing too 'insular' 1 hour, 17 > minutes > > > ago > > > > > > STOCKHOLM, Sweden - The man who announces the Nobel Prize in > > > literature says the United States is too "insular" and ignorant > to > > > compete with Europe when it comes to great writing. > > > > > > In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Horace > Engdahl > > > said Tuesday that "Europe still is the center of the literary > > > world." > > > > > > Engdahl is the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, which > > > selects the literature prize winner. He is expected to announce > the > > > winner in the coming weeks. > > > > > > Engdahl says the U.S. "is too isolated, too insular" and doesn't > > > really "participate in the big dialogue of literature." > > > > > > Since Japanese poet Kenzaburo Oe won in 1994, the selections have > > > had a distinct European flavor. The last American winner was Toni > > > Morrison in 1993. > > >
