Hello Gentle Reader
Nadine Gordimer, was the first South African writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Almost twenty three years ago, this coming October, Nadine Gordimer, received a phone call from Sweden, and the Swedish Academy’s then Permanent Secretary Sture Allén, who had informed her of her Nobel Accolade; Gordimer then sixty-nine years old, traveled to Sweden to accept the prize and give a lecture, titled: “Writing and Being.” Gordimer is one of those authors, who took a stance in their writing in regards to their own held views of the society around them. In Gordimer’s case, she took an adamant stance against the South African imposed policy and legislation called Apartheid. Apartheid, instituted by the National Party and Dutch settlers called Boers, segregated the black of South Africa; and the white from each other. This racial discrimination physically disgusted Gordimer, and soon her work began to reflect the contentious relationship of the inhabitants of the country, based around such blatant inhumane treatment. But to state that Gordimer’s work was solely, inclined to South Africa and Apartheid, is not a correct overview of her work. Gordimer was repelled and disturbed all injustices, both in her country and internationally. Still in the end Gordimer was after all, a writer. She was an activist; but her loyalties always stayed true to her passion with writing; which came from a fondness of reading and writing, from childhood. When she was eleven, she had developed a heart murmur, and her mother pulled her from school, and administered bed rest. From there on Gordimer developed a fondness for reading and writing.
Gordimer believed strongly in the power of words, and their power which could devastate, and nourish. As she wrote to Salmin Rushdie as he hide from Islamistis, terrorist, and jihadists, calling for his head, after the call for a fatwa; and the fears of assignation attempts that followed, as she wrote to Rusdhie she stated:
“Written words still have the amazing power to bring out the best and the worst of human nature,”
[ and continued with . . . ]
“We ought to treat words the way we treat nuclear energy or genetic engineering-with courage, caution, vision and precision.”
If mankind as accomplished anything, worthy of achievement it is language. It is spoken word, and written word. Words have proven to start wars, and end wars. Words that make you laugh, and words that make you cry. Words and langue have proven to be the greatest form invention that mankind will ever achieve. To that I agree with Nadine Gordimer. We also agree on her disproval of all forms of censorship. She had lived a varied and strong life. A life of witnessing, and action. As she once stated she may have failed at a lot, but was never afraid.
Rest in Peace Nadine Gordimer
Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
*And Remember: Downloading Books Illegally is Thievery and Wrong.*
M. Mary
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