The 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature

Wasn’t I gobsmacked to read this morning that the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature went to

Bob Dylan!!!

 

 

 

Alice Munro:”master of the contemporary short story”

Congratulations on the Nobel Prize, Alice Munro!!!

“Munro is acclaimed for her finely tuned storytelling, which is characterized by clarity and psychological realism. Some critics consider her a Canadian Chekhov,” the committee said.

“Her stories are often set in small town environments, where the struggle for a socially acceptable existence often results in strained relationships and moral conflicts — problems that stem from generational differences and colliding life ambitions. Her texts often feature depictions of everyday but decisive events, epiphanies of a kind, that illuminate the surrounding story and let existential questions appear in a flash of lightning.”

Alice Munro hails from my part of the world and I often pictured my small town when I read her stories. I can credit my grade high school  teachers  for introducing me the Ms. Munro’s works, as well as the works of other Canadians. We sometimes felt that the mandate that we had to read Canadian authors was a bit plebeian, when we were anxious to spread our wings and explore the world. But reading  Lives of Girls and Women made me realize there were interesting stories to be found in towns like the ones I grew up in, and in the small details of an ordinary life.

I bet there’s a run on her books at the library!