Parochial Plea

[Tore Rye Andersen]

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> Might this be the reason someone (forget the name) on the Nobel committee
> said that no American writer would receive the Prize for Literature=2C be=
cause
> they were too provincial=2C too focused on America?

No=2C Horace Engdahl said that because he is a pompous buffoon who dislikes=
=20
America and Americans. And his statement was pretty stupid=2C since some of
the strongest American contenders for the Nobel (Pynchon and Roth) are
anything but insular: Pynchon because the world is his scene=2C and Roth=20
because he has done much to introduce foreign novels to an American
audience. Plus which=2C as Rich pointed out=2C much European fiction is jus=
t
as provincial and insular as American fiction. And this insularity=20
is often even more visible in European novels: When an American writes
about America=2C he's still working on a large tapestry: When a Swede write=
s
about Sweden or a Dane about Denmark=2C matters quickly turn very=20
claustrophobic indeed.
=20
Fortunately=2C Horace Engdahl stepped down as the permanent secretary of=20
the Swedish Academy in June. The man is really quite insufferable. 		 	   	=
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