Comments on: Nobel Prize Announced

By: Rebecca Reid

Rebecca Reid — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:19:25 +0000

I agree, blacklin, although I think actual writing should receive the highest consideration, above subject matter. For the Nobel writers I’ve read, I think their writing has been good, even the times when I didn’t like the subject matter.

By: Kristen

Kristen — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:15:23 +0000

Thank you for your comment, blacklin! Good point about the global aspect…

By: blacklin

blacklin — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:40:32 +0000

I don’t think being a prolific writer should be a prerequisite for winning the Nobel prize either.

What makes a writer worthy of the Nobel prize? I haven’t looked at the official guidelines, but for me, I think a writer should be nominated for the Nobel because his or her work is international in some respect and has a global impact. It does seem that most writers who win the Nobel prize have lived in many places outside his or her own country, that the books written do have an international flavor.

By: Kristen

Kristen — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:52:29 +0000

Great article, Rebecca! Thank you — “blue eyed elegant cowboy” sounds pretty good

And one per year is pretty darn prolific…

I better check him out!

By: Rebecca Reid

Rebecca Reid — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:33:42 +0000

Again, I’m not saying Oates isn’t good–she did win the Pulitzer for one of her novels, after all! I guess I just don’t see proflic writing and commercial success as a requisite for the Nobel prize. I mean, Winston Churchill didn’t exactly write to make any money. He wrote speeches and histories because he did. And his writing was award worthy.

I read another article here and apparently Le Clézio is quite prolific as well–a work a year for the past decade.