September 30th forum announcement

Dear Poetry Aficionados,

IBPC: Poetry & Poets in Rags

We begin this week with what we can only hope is a thoughtless statement from the Swedish Academy by permanent secretary Horace Engdahl, a statement reducing the Nobel Prize selection procedure to a sports grudge match and himself to a fanatical Fenway groupie. He basically said to all American writers, "Yankees suck!" If he does not see any problem with what he said, if he thinks it is an astute opinion, then what we have is petty national politics that would disgrace any respectable worldwide committee, even the ones geared toward national competitions, the Olympic committee for instance. Is it truly the Nobel Prize any longer, or just by name? Apparently, there has not been and there will not be any worldwide search for the most deserving recipient. If there is no apology forthcoming, there is no more prestige.

Here is an excerpt from Alfred Nobel's will:

The whole of my remaining realizable estate shall be dealt with in the following way: The capital, invested in safe securities by my executors, shall constitute a fund, the interest on which shall be annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind.

The said interest shall be divided into five equal parts, which shall be apportioned as follows: one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery or invention within the field of physics; one part to the person who shall have made the most important chemical discovery or improvement; one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery within the domain of physiology or medicine; one part to the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction; and one part to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.

There is no mention of competition, especially at the national level.

Thanks for clicking in. We have many more stories than this, of course.

Yours,
Rus

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