Doris Lessing wins Nobel Prize for literature
Doris Lessing has won the Nobel Prize for literature -- this is one that I can lay claim to twice, for she is, in some sense, both Canadian and a science fiction writer. Woo! Go team!
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The 87-year-old has been honoured with the 10m kronor (£763,000) award for her life's work over a 57-year career...Shortly after the Nobel announcement, her agent Jonathan Clowes told the Agence France Presse news agency: "We are absolutely delighted because it is so well deserved. She doesn't know yet.
"She's out shopping and we are trying to get in touch with her before she discovers it in the news."
(Photo credit: Doris lessing 20060312.jpg is a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike photo taken by Elke Wetzig and hosted on the Wikimedia Commons)
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Canadian? I'm sure she's British...
What do you mean by "lay claim to"?
Ah, Margaret Atwood is Canadian and kinda Ess Eff, so as much as I hate to suggest it, this might be a case of Lessing/Atwood conflation?
Yep, even the CBC doesn't claim her as Canadian.
By 'laying claim', Cory is celebraing this honor as a Cleveland fan would celebrate Cleveland's victory over New York in the MLB playoffs. Another example: When a surfer catches a great wave and rides it well, he may scream, yell or throw up his arms. This is know as 'claiming' the wave. Thus, Cory feels compelled to give double applause to Doris because of her being both Canadian and a science fiction writer. Congratulation Doris Lessing! Certainly a well deserved honor.
...for she is, in some sense, both Canadian and a science fiction writer...
Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out how being born to British parents in Persia, growing up in Rhodesia, getting educated in England, moving back to Rhodesia then settling in London translates into being Canadian in any sense. I mean, yay for the Commonwealth and all, but, dude.
Lighten up. Most people in the United States think insulin and the telephone were invented here.
"She's out shopping and we are trying to get in touch with her before she discovers it in the news."
How cute is that? One is in the grocery store getting some Half and Half and pancake mix when suddenly becomes aware, through the big TV screen right behind the cashier, that one is now a Nobel Prize.
I would have a heart attack, for sure.
Well, no, W3em. That wasn't what I was saying. Care to try again?
I think you do mean Ms. Atwater, though Lessing certainly can be said to have written science fiction.There was a clip of her returning from the grocery on the TV. She did not seem bowled over by the announcement--news report here:http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hEX5RZLgI-aBoVOjcbCfq906nc9gD8S783980
There is great BBC footage of her reaction when she was told. She saw all the cameras and apparently thought someone was filming a TV show, or so she said in another interview.
A journalist approached her and said "Have you heard the news?". "No" was the answer. "You have won the Nobel Prize for Literature" says the journalist to which she replied "Oh Christ" in a real 'I dont care and you have ruined my afternoon' kind of way.
It's up on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL0OM0J7EYk