Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
A Nobel Mystery: Can an American win amid accusations of out-of-touch elitism?
Thursday, October 09, 2008 | No comments posted.
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) — Most years the big questions preceding the Nobel Prize in literature are, will it be a man or woman, poet or novelist?
Ahead of Thursday’s announcement of the 2008 award, it’s whether the winner will be an American.
Speculation has soared after committee member and permanent secretary Horace Engdahl told The Associated Press last week that the United States is too insular and ignorant to challenge Europe as the center of the literary world.
Engdahl was speaking about American literature in general, but some observers still inferred an anti-American bias that would hurt potential — and perennial — U.S. candidates like Philip Roth, Joyce Carol Oates and Don DeLillo.
Engdahl rejected allegations that the secretive panel at the Swedish Academy is influenced by politics or nationality when choosing its winner. Recent winners such as Doris Lessing, Harold Pinter and Elfriede Jelinek are known for their strong political and social views.
Ahead of Thursday’s announcement of the 2008 award, it’s whether the winner will be an American.
Speculation has soared after committee member and permanent secretary Horace Engdahl told The Associated Press last week that the United States is too insular and ignorant to challenge Europe as the center of the literary world.
Engdahl was speaking about American literature in general, but some observers still inferred an anti-American bias that would hurt potential — and perennial — U.S. candidates like Philip Roth, Joyce Carol Oates and Don DeLillo.
Engdahl rejected allegations that the secretive panel at the Swedish Academy is influenced by politics or nationality when choosing its winner. Recent winners such as Doris Lessing, Harold Pinter and Elfriede Jelinek are known for their strong political and social views.
The comments below are from users of theworldlink.com and do not necessarily represent the views of The World or Lee Enterprises. Participation Guidelines
Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Not already registered?
The World welcomes your comments about stories, and we encourage a robust dialogue on this site. All comments must meet reasonable standards of decency and civility.
Please follow these basic rules:
- No defamatory comments about individuals or businesses.
- No deliberately false information.
- No obscenity or racially offensive language.
- No harassment, verbal abuse, threats or personal attacks.
- No information that invades another person's privacy.
- No business solicitations or charitable solicitations.
Comments that violate these standards will not be posted. Users with repeated violations may be banned from future posting.Comments will be approved throughout the day during business hours. After hours and weekend comments may not appear until the following business day. It may take a couple of hours before comments are approved.
The World generally does not edit comments, but we reserve the right to edit any comment that does not meet our standards.
Close Guidelines