The Birdcage Archives

Thursday 6 December 2018

The Closed Company


 Hello Gentle Reader

Earlier this week the Swedish Appeals Court, found Jean-Claude Arnault’s initial conviction not only stood, but also added another six months to his sentence, while finding him guilty of a second rape. Arnault continues to profess his innocence with relation to the charges, and his lawyers announced they plan on appealing this added conviction further to the Supreme Court.

Friend and ally Horace Engdahl has refuted the court’s decision as baseless, and decried the extended prison sentence and added conviction as unjustified, due to the evidence being testimonial in nature, with little to no ‘physical evidence,’ produced by either the prosecutes or accusers. Beyond throwing his support behind Jean-Claude Arnault, Horace Engdahl has also once again taken it upon himself to offer a dissenting opinion of the current gender divide forming in the world. His new book “De Obekymrade,” or “The Obsessed,” Engdahl takes aim and issue with the current fragmenting social climate. It’s considered a personal polemic testament and observation of social movements currently at work—specifically the ‘MeToo Movement.’ When discussing “De Obekymrade,” stated it will offer the perspective from the other side of the conversation and reaffirmed it is not a misogynistic manifesto.

Despite this, Horace Engdahl then makes a ludicrous claim in another direction, which undermines his previous statements. In refrence to the recent departure of Jayne Svenungsson and alluding to: Sara Stridsberg, Sara Danius, Lotta Lotass as well as Katarina Frostenson) Horacen Engdahl proposes that men are perhaps better equipped to dealing with the power struggles, pressures, and extreme stresses associated with institutions like the Swedish Academy, in a recent documentary with Sveriges Television.

As for the fate of former Permanent Secretary Sara Danius, it has been reported that she is considering returning to her work with the Swedish Academy. According to an article with Expressen, Sara Danius had stated she would wait for the court’s decision before she decided to either move into an active role with the Swedish Academy or remain passive. In the meantime she was featured in a calendar photoshoot celebrating the ‘MeToo Movement,’ where she was depicted as Joan of Arc, with an ensemble of armour and sword. For now it appears Sara Danius will remain passive or inactive with matters concerning the Swedish Academy.

Katarina Frostenson remains the greatest liability for the Swedish Academy. Despite being declawed and toothless, the notoriety of her husband’s conviction and his previous behaviors will shadow her; not to mention her own lacking moral compass with regards to ethics on conflicts of interest, especially of a financial nature. Yet, the Swedish Academy continues to hold a stony silence with regards to the Frostenson problem. The academy has requested she voluntarily resign from her seat and she refuses, going so far as to hire a lawyer to help navigate the legal proceedings she herself may face, as the Swedish Academy once again takes the mantel of an investigation to inspect and examine her alleged transgressions.

Yet it is not entirely fair to crucify Katarina Frostenson as the only member who should resign from her seat with the academy. There are a few members who have failed astronomically in their duties past and present both as Permanent Secretaries as well as members of the academy. They have shown themselves to lack moral probity, sober thought, clear and concise perspective, and an ability to rely on simple principles and pillar of justice. These members have been quick to criticize the short comings of others in order to protect either their own personal vested interest or reputation, often at the expense of the academy’s reputation, and on the backs of other members. These members have proven themselves to being rotten and lacking in simple ideas of comradery beyond their corrupted version. Their actions along with the scandal, have subsequently tarnished the Nobel Prize for Literature, and forced the Nobel Foundation to demand caveats and concessions, as well as suggest amendments and reforms on the threat of punitive action.

Next year there is the expectation the Swedish Academy will announce two winners for the Nobel Prize for Literature, to make up for this year’s postponement. The question is, will the chosen writes accept the award, or will the Nobel Prize rise above the trivialities of scandal and remain a shining golden beacon of culture and literary merit?

Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read

M. Mary


For Further Reading (and watching) –


Sveriges Television - Documentary - "The Closed Company," 

The Globe & Mail: "Swedish court adds second rape conviction for man in Nobel scandal,"

SVT Nyheter: "Horace Engdahl on the new book: "Will beat the pure feminists"'

Expressen: "Sara Danius: "I am a passive member, I wait and see"

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