Ursula K Le Guin is one of my much-loved authors.
I loved the Left Hand of Darkness when I first read it more than a decade ago, and I adore her Earthsea series.
Last week, I saw her acceptance speech for her National Award, and it made me tear up just a little bit, especially the last part:
Books aren’t just commodities; the profit motive is often in
conflict with the aims of art. We live in capitalism, its power seems
inescapable – but then, so did the divine right of kings. Any human
power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change
often begin in art. Very often in our art, the art of words.
I’ve had a long career as a writer, and a good one, in good company.
Here at the end of it, I don’t want to watch American literature get
sold down the river. We who live by writing and publishing want and
should demand our fair share of the proceeds; but the name of our
beautiful reward isn’t profit. Its name is freedom.
Read anything by Ursula Le Guin? Do you agree with what she says?
Earthsea was awesome! FYI, If people don't have time to read even though it was short, you can listen to it for free with Umano! Great article!
https://umano.me/c/ep7Md/what-does-our-writing-bring-us?queue=L2xpc3RlbnMvYWpheF9sb2FkX2ZlZWQ/dHlwZT1wbGF5bGlzdCZvZmZzZXQ9MTEmc2luY2U9MTQxOTE5NzY0MzY0MiZ0YWJsZT0x
Indeed, the freedom to share words is a precious gift to be cherished.
Great literature contains themes which are common among all humans – love, war, pathos, greed, struggle and victory. It allows people from all walks of life to experience the cultures and the lives of others. Literacy – and education – are the building blocks of a free and civil society. That is why censorship and banning of books have been used throughout history by people/groups to try and control others.
Freedom to read what we wish and hold an actual book and the freedom to hear our views should never be undervalued
The freedom to be able to express ourselves and be heard.
I have a stack of books by her that I still haven't gotten to, including Earthsea.