Be on the left, it seems. The NYT all but comes out and says it in its article on Harold Pinter today:
The playwright, known in recent years as much for his fiery anti-Americanism as for his spare prose style and haunting, elliptical plays like “The Caretaker” and “The Homecoming,” was awarded the $1.3 million Nobel literature prize in October. In its citation, the Swedish Academy made little mention of his political views, saying only that he is known as a “fighter for human rights” whose stands are often “seen as controversial.” It mostly focused on his work, saying that Mr. Pinter “uncovers the precipice under everyday prattle and forces entry into oppression’s closed rooms.”
The literature prize has in recent years often gone to writers with left-wing ideologies. These include the European writers José Saramago of Portugal, Gunter Grass of Germany and Dario Fo of Italy.
Good thing Saul Bellow got his back in 1976. He might not have stood much of a chance in recent years.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member