Doris Lessing's Noble Prize Speech

Reading that was amazingly humbling. Thanks for sharing, CG.

Sury

Doris Lessing came to Rutgers in 1982. She wasn't promoting a book, she was promoting reading. I remember a yound professor, during question and answer time, asked her if she thought computers were as important as books--perhaps would replace books. The professor was pedantic and persistent before he allowed Lessing to answer his statement (it really wasn't a question). At the end of his long diatribe about computers and knowledge Ms. Lessing leaned into the microphone and simply said, 'no." She went on to other questions, but the young professor was persistent. He was going to make his point--make her concede. She pointed to him again, and again he went into his long pedantic speech about computers and knowledge and the world wide web--perhaps five minutes of it. At the end, Ms. Lessing leaned into the microphone and said: 'I still understand what you are saying and my answer is still no.' I wanted to kiss her on both cheeks.

Wonderful. Abso-fricking-lutely wonderful.

Thanks Chris.

That was great. Thank you.

Wonderful, so true and inspiring. Thank you.

Moving and inspiring. Every writer should take a few moments and read it.

Excellent speech and well executed, but I kind of do think computers are going to change reading. It's never going to be the same and I'm of the ilk that we need to shape the future instead of bemoaning the past.


M