Gracey Hitchcock
Canadian author Alice Munro was recently awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Monro at 81 is an acknowledged master of the short story, the literature form which many experts consider the most difficult to execute well. Alice Munro has won many honours over the years, including the prestigious Man Booker International Prize. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker magazine and other well-respected magazines. Alice Munro is without question a literary treasure.
I have enjoyed her work for many years. So, I was shocked by commentators who found it appropriate to implicitly question Munro’s worthiness and suggest that someone else should have been awarded the prize. These people are in the minority, but still I was nonplussed at what passes for acceptable behavior today. Nor, was Munro the only recipient to have her worthiness questioned by media pundits.
The day Munro won the world’s top literature prize, one TV news channel devoted a lengthy panel segment to the singer and songwriter, Bob Dylan. They did mention that no one questioned Munro’s worthiness, but it was disingenuous as they then proceeded to ignore Munro during their discussion about the worth of Dylan’s work.
I also heard a lot about Malala Yousafzai, impressive Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban. She would have been a worthy candidate. She embodies the fight for girls’ education rights as well as respect for women at a time when whole cultures continue to beat, abuse, and even murder women. There were many who felt she deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. This year it went to a group that tries to rid the world of heinous chemical weapons. Have you heard anything about the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) an independent and autonomous organization that seeks to uphold the Chemical Weapons Convention drawn up in 1992-93 to prohibit the use, production and storage of chemical weapons? I know I haven’t. And don’t misunderstand me, I think Malala is impressive. I expect we will hear a lot from this young woman in coming years. She is a leader and inspiration. But she has years ahead of her and her accomplishments shouldn’t dim the of the winners.
It is truly appalling how far we have carried the idea that all opinions have an equal right to be heard. It has gone too far. After a qualified and accomplished person is awarded a prize for anything the time for nominations and speculations has passed. The people who won prizes like the Nobel deserve their moment in the sun. If that person wasn’t your personal choice, suck it up and be gracious. Wait for the next round and then put your choice forward. And if you can’t be gracious be quiet. It may sound old-fashioned, but good manners make the world work. Grace and kindness make life sweet.
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Gracey Hitchcock
Editor
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Gracey Hitchcock
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