Nobel Literature Chief says USA is isolated and bashes its literature

[Simon]

"Of course there is powerful literature in all big cultures, but you can't get away from the fact that Europe still is the center of the literary world ... not the United States."

"The U.S. is too isolated, too insular. They don't translate enough and don't really participate in the big dialogue of literature," Engdahl said. "That ignorance is restraining."

Read the article: Nobel Literature Chief Bashes American Literature

What do you think? Is Horace Engdahl correct, is the literature in USA restrained by "ignorance"?

[mountainhiker]

"Of course there is powerful literature in all big cultures, but you can't get away from the fact that Europe still is the center of the literary world ... not the United States."

"The U.S. is too isolated, too insular. They don't translate enough and don't really participate in the big dialogue of literature," Engdahl said. "That ignorance is restraining."

Read the article: Nobel Literature Chief Bashes American Literature

What do you think? Is Horace Engdahl correct, is the literature in USA restrained by "ignorance"?

No Horace is just a bigot, and sounds like he is ignorant of the literature of different regions of the world.

Sort of the "not invented" here mindset. :thoughtful:

[Simon]

I've met Horace and he is no "bigot" or ignorant. Maybe "you americans" should stop being so damn patriotic and realise that you are not the best in everything, far from it actually. :cute:

[mountainhiker]

I've met Horace and he is no "bigot" or ignorant. Maybe "you americans" should stop being so damn patriotic and realise that you are not the best in everything, far from it actually. :cute:

You asked what I thought of him, has nothing to do with being patriotic, he just sounds like "if its not here then it must not be worth much". He could have said that about Canada and I would have thought the same.

Europe still is the center of the literary world only as long as you live in Europe. The people in China would clearly question that due to the age of some of their works....

[Simon]

You asked what I thought of him, has nothing to do with being patriotic, he just sounds like "if its not here then it must not be worth much". He could have said that about Canada and I would have thought the same.

Europe still is the center of the literary world only as long as you live in Europe. The people in China would clearly question that due to the age of some of their works....

Canada what? ;)