American writers, not good enough for Nobel Prize in Literature, or are they?

The Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded Thursday, October 8 to Romanian-born German writer Herta Mueller. Great for her, but there is something else going on behind the scenes that is to an extent overshadowing this great accomplishment.

Certain members of the Nobel Prize selection committee have very strong opinions on certain areas. Literature is definitely one of them. According to The Associated Press, "Before last year's prize announcement, outgoing permanent secretary Horace Engdahl said the U.S. was too insular and ignorant to challenge Europe as the center of the literary world."

Wow! That is one strong statement. This opinion is shared by other members of the committee as well, but not by all.

"Englund struck a different tone, telling AP Tuesday that in most language areas 'there are authors that really deserve and could get the Nobel Prize and that goes for the United States and the Americas, as well.'" This is taken from an article in The Associated Press.

So what is it? Is American literature good enough or not? Apparently, there are multiple opinions on this issue. Specifically, they discuss the American songwriter, Bob Dylan.

According to The Associated Press, "Dylan is believed to have been nominated several times before, but doesn't quite fit the profile of a Nobel literature laureate. Besides primarily being a songwriter, his mass following could also be considered a minus by the Swedish Academy, which often chooses writers who are unfamiliar to the everyday reader. However, Dylan is considered by many prominent literary critics to be a major poet, his song lyrics worthy of serious study."

Why should the writers by unfamiliar to the everyday reader? This does not make sense to me. Are not Nobel Prize winners people who make a difference in the world through their work? Then, what is the use of their work if nobody reads it? Bob Dylan is being criticized, because too many people like his work? Something is wrong here.

The fact is, although the committee is to be politically neutral, there will always be some politics involved.

AP also wrote, "The last American winner was Toni Morrison in 1993. No writer from South America has won since Gabriel Garcia Marquez in 1982. The last North American writer was Canadian Saul Bellow, who won in 1976 and was a resident of the United States for much of his life."

Some serious rethinking needs to be done by some members of the Nobel Prize committee. What is it about American literature that is so bad? Nothing. Open your eyes committee. There are several well deserving individuals who write massively influential pieces of literature that deserve to be recognized for what they have done for the world.