I did not expect this announcement today, or its winner. I have read this guy; he is mentioned in other posts.
The Nobel Prize in Literature 2025
László Krasznahorkai
The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2025 is awarded to the Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, “for his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art”.
Bio-bibliography (Nobel Prize site)
László Krasznahorkai is a great epic writer in the Central European tradition that extends through Kafka to Thomas Bernhard, and is characterised by absurdism and grotesque excess. But there are more strings to his bow, and he soon looks to the East in adopting a more contemplative, finely calibrated tone. The result is a string of works inspired by the deep-seated impressions left by his journeys to China and Japan. About the search for a secret garden, his 2003 novel Északról hegy, Délről tó, Nyugatról utak, Keletről folyó (A Mountain to the North, a Lake to the South, Paths to the West, a River to the East, 2022) is a mysterious tale with powerful lyrical sections that takes place southeast of Kyoto. The work has the sense of a prelude to the rich Seiobo járt odalent (2008; Seiobo There Below, 2013), a collection of seventeen stories arranged in a Fibonacci sequence about the role of beauty and artistic creation in a world of blindness and impermanence. Alongside his quintet of epics, it represents Krasznahorkai’s major work. Particularly unforgettable is its opening scene in which a snow-white heron stands motionless in the middle of the River Kamo in Kyoto, waiting for its victim in the whirlpools below. Invisible to the masses of people passing by, the bird becomes an elusive image of the particular situation of the artist.
The common thread running through the book is the Japanese myth concerning Seiobo, who according to legend protects the garden which, every three thousand years, produces fruit that grants immortality. In the book, the myth is about the creation of a work of art and, in a string of episodes, we follow the genesis of such a work in the most diverse of times and environments. Often the act of creation occurs after a lengthy period of preparation marked by tradition and practiced craftsmanship. Works may also come about as a result of delayed or confused circumstances, as in the story of the perilous transport of an unfinished painting by the renowned Renaissance artist Pietro Vannucci from Florence to Perugia, the city of the latter’s birth. While everyone believes that Perugino, as he is commonly known, has given up painting, it is in Perugia that a miracle takes place.
As for my own writing career, "No Ordinary Word" rejected, again:
We have carefully considered your submission, "No Ordinary Word," and regret that we do not have a place for it in Indiana Review. We appreciate your support and wish you luck placing your work elsewhere.
Sincerely,
The Editors
***
Unfortunately, we didn’t think that the story was quite right for our list, so we will decline from publishing your work on this occasion. Please do not feel that this is a reflection on your writing. We enjoyed reading your work, and felt it was engaging.
Please feel free to take a look at the stories on our website to get a feel for what we are publishing, and we would welcome further submissions of short stories from you in the future.
Best wishes,
The Fairlight Books Editorial Team
My father liked Max & Erma's; I remember them for their radio campaign from days long gone, and I was surprised to read The '70s Burger Chain That's Barely Still Holding On.
AD-X2: When US Politicians Took on Science (History Today)
9 Reasons Why Solarpunk is the Future
Over the past year numerous articles have been written and published about solarpunk and the need for more optimistic and hopeful fiction. These articles have appeared in genre and entertainment specific publications, as well as broader themed magazines and news outlets with much larger circulation such as the BBC, Yes! Magazine, Time Magazine, and more.
Given the moment that solarpunk is currently enjoying here in the present, it seems like an good opportunity to examine nine reasons why we believe solarpunk is, in fact, the future we are both waiting for and creating together.
Optimism... not something I have in great supply in the abstract. Too much mindless, rose-tinted glasses ideology that seems virtue-signaling and its mere existence is enough to effect change puts me off. But reading the nine reasons, I found this, and it is why you are reading about solarpunk:
That’s thick, heavy shit. We get it. Apathy and nihilism made sense as a reactionary defense mechanism to the environment GenX was raised in. But we’ve decided that we’re done with that now. We want a future, and that’s not going to happen if we drown ourselves in pessimism and refuse to take positive action toward building that better future. It’s time to end the real life dystopia that is our world and create a better one. It’s time to demand utopia, and that’s exactly what solarpunk is doing.
Song for the day:
Now off to the BMV!
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