Ursula K. Le Guin accepts the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters at the 65th National Book Awards on November 19, 2014.
She is probably the only famous person I've never met that makes me cry when I think about her not being with us anymore. My favorite writer by a mile and such a fierce, intelligent woman who refuses to back down and instead continued to criticize harmful power structures until the very end.
“For we each of us deserve everything, every luxury that was ever piled in the tombs of the dead kings, and we each of us deserve nothing, not a mouthful of bread in hunger. Have we not eaten while another starved? Will you punish us for that? Will you reward us for the virtue of starving while others ate? No man earns punishment, no man earns reward. Free your mind of the idea of deserving, the idea of earning, and you will begin to be able to think.” -The Dispossessed
This reminds me of something a South or East European politician said during the 2008 crisis, which is that he understood German culture and political and economic policy much more when he found out that in German, they only have 1 word for what is in English 'earn' as in financially earn a wage, and 'deserve' [verdienen], as well as one word for 'debt' as well as 'blame' [Schuld].
Ah, this is a truly wise person. I love her comments on capitalism - many would've cowered away from tackling such a controversial subject, but not her. She is brave, wise, and quite intelligent. Glad to see her getting such recognition.
"A writer is a person who cares what words mean, what they say, how they say it. Writers know words are their way towards truth and freedom, and so they use them with care, with thought, with fear, with delight. By using words well they strengthen their souls. Story-tellers and poets spend their lives learning that skill and art of using words well. And their words make the souls of their readers stronger, brighter, deeper." I and so many others who's lives you've touched can't thank you enough for your ideas, your imagination, your compassion, your empathy, your wit, your wisdom, your beauty, and your words. May the dragons bear you to the Farthest Shore.
This line, I love this so much: "I think hard times are coming when we will be wanting the voices of writers who can see alternative to how we live now, and can see through our fear-stricken society and its obsessive technology, to other ways of being..." and she goes on - yes!
To the givers of this beautiful reward, my thanks, from the heart. My family, my agents, my editors, know that my being here is their doing as well as my own, and that the beautiful reward is theirs as much as mine. And I rejoice in accepting it for, and sharing it with, all the writers who’ve been excluded from literature for so long - my fellow authors of fantasy and science fiction, writers of the imagination, who for 50 years have watched the beautiful rewards go to the so-called realists. Hard times are coming, when we’ll be wanting the voices of writers who can see alternatives to how we live now, can see through our fear-stricken society and its obsessive technologies to other ways of being, and even imagine real grounds for hope. We’ll need writers who can remember freedom - poets, visionaries - realists of a larger reality. Right now, we need writers who know the difference between production of a market commodity and the practice of an art. Developing written material to suit sales strategies in order to maximise corporate profit and advertising revenue is not the same thing as responsible book publishing or authorship. Yet I see sales departments given control over editorial. I see my own publishers, in a silly panic of ignorance and greed, charging public libraries for an e-book six or seven times more than they charge customers. We just saw a profiteer try to punish a publisher for disobedience, and writers threatened by corporate fatwa. And I see a lot of us, the producers, who write the books and make the books, accepting this - letting commodity profiteers sell us like deodorant, and tell us what to publish, what to write. 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.
Ursula K. Le Guin was a visionary writer whose work transcended genre to explore the big questions of human existence. Her intelligent, compassionate, and imaginative stories have inspired generations of readers and writers alike. Le Guin's work is characterized by its complex characters, thought-provoking plots, and challenging themes. She used her platform to advocate for social justice and environmentalism, and her work continues to resonate with readers today. Thank you, Ursula K. Le Guin, for your gift to the world. *LOVE FROM INDIA*
If you are watching this, and haven't read her book, "The Dispossessed," please read it. It is a vision of a revolutionary society where many of the problems of our society do not exist.
In a sense yes, but it's also a society where those problems *do* exist still in certain forms and the book shows how people can resist and change still. Anarchism is as much a process and a practice as it is a "utopia", and I think the Dispossessed and the use of Urrasti traditions, history, social systems to contrast with Odo-ism does a phenomenal job of illustrating that.
Thanks, UKLG, for teaching me how to be a "Realist of a Larger Reality." Your writing has been my remote mentor for 30 very odd years, informing my whole life, showing me how to "see a thing whole." Profound thanks to you!
Polish translation: O, Boże... Jak teraz? W porządku? Chyba jestem trochę niższa od pozostałych. Dziękuję, Neil. Do przyznających tę wspaniałą nagrodę: serdecznie wam dziękuję. Także mojej rodzinie, moim agentom, wydawcom... Moja obecność tutaj jest tak samo ich zasługą, jak i moją, a ta wspaniała nagroda należy się im tak samo jak mi. Z radością odbieram tę nagrodę w imieniu swoim i wszystkich pisarzy, których skazano na wieloletnie nieistnienie w literaturze, pisarzy fantasy i science-fiction takich jak ja, twórców świata wyobraźni, którzy przez ostatnie 50 lat musieli patrzeć, jak te wspaniałe nagrody wędrują do tak zwanych... REALISTÓW. Myślę, że nadchodzą ciężkie czasy, w których potrzebne będą głosy pisarzy, umiejących wskazać alternatywy dla tego, jak obecnie żyjemy, potrafiących wyrwać się z okowów naszego motywowanego strachem społeczeństwa oraz jego obsesyjnych technologii, by dostrzec inne drogi życia, a nawet tworzyć twardy grunt, na którym wyrośnie nadzieja. Będziemy potrzebować pisarzy, którzy przypomną sobie, czym jest wolność -- poetów, wizjonerów... realistów wychodzących poza naszą rzeczywistość. Natomiast dziś potrzebni nam są pisarze, którzy wiedzą, jaka jest różnica między produkcją towaru rynkowego a tworzeniem sztuki. Wytwarzania tekstów według kryteriów strategii sprzedażowych, żeby korporacje zarobiły jak najwięcej, a wydatki na reklamę przyniosły zysk, nie można nazwać odpowiedzialną działalnością wydawniczą lub pisarską. Dziękuję wam za ten odważny aplauz. A mimo to cały czas widzę, jak działy sprzedaży sprawują władzę nad działami wydawniczymi. Widzę, jak moi wydawcy gonią w piętkę z chciwości i niewiedzy, kasując biblioteki publiczne za e-booki 6-7 razy tyle, co zwykłych konsumentów. Przed chwilą widzieliśmy, jak jakiś spekulant usiłował ukarać wydawcę za nieposłuszeństwo. Widzieliśmy pisarzy, którym grożono korporacyjnymi fatwami (korporacyjnym dyktatem - to chyba bardziej zrozumiałe - przyp. tłum.). Cały czas widzę, jak my wszyscy -- piszący i wydający książki -- zgadzamy się na ten stan rzeczy. Pozwalamy, żeby spekulanci rynkowi sprzedawali nas jak dezodoranty? Żeby mówili nam, co mamy pisać i wydawać? Cóż... (Z publiczności: kocham panią!) Ja ciebie też, moja droga. Książki... wiecie co, to nie są zwykłe towary. Motyw zysku często kłóci się z celami, jakie ma do osiągnięcia sztuka. Żyjemy w kapitalizmie. Jego władza nad nami nie podlega dyskusji. Tak samo, jak kiedyś boskie prawo królów. (Śmiech publiczności). Każda istota ludzka może się przeciwstawić władzy, jaką ma nad nią drugi człowiek i zmienić ten stan rzeczy. Sprzeciw i zmiana często mają swój początek w sztuce, a bardzo często właśnie w naszej -- sztuce słowa. Mam za sobą długą, udaną karierę. Wśród zacnych ludzi. Pod jej koniec nie chcę, by literatura amerykańska stała się przedmiotem kupczenia. My, którzy żyjemy z działalności pisarskiej i wydawniczej, chcemy i powinniśmy się domagać uczciwego udziału w zyskach. Jednak najwspanialsza nagroda za naszą działalność to nie zysk. Jest nią WOLNOŚĆ.
The notable difference within 24 seconds ... the applause @2:20 and then at @2:44 where Le Guin starts to get a bit more specific about what she's really getting at.
"Truth is a matter of the imagination." How can I ever thank you for words such as these, which in their simplicity express what words cannot - and yet, metaphorically do - express, Ursula? You were, and will continue to be, a great source of inspiration in so very many ways. Farewell, with gratitude.
"But the name of our beautiful reward is not profit, its name is freedom." I'm not a professional writer though, maybe because of that, I'm totally with you on this. RIP Ursula Le Guin, I hope this world wouldn't forget entirely the values you said.
"What every strong intellect wants to be is a guardian of integrity." - Jacob Bronowski. So inspirational and moving to hear our elders speak with such courageous elegance. May we all hear, understand, and act.
What an amazing and prophetically accurate speech. #AmericanLiteratureEqualsFreedom Thank you Ursula K. Le Guin for sharing your gift with the world! HAGD 🙏
One of most important and most beloved writers for me. And in this speech you can see her wisdom, courage, sense of humor - everything. Thank you for the ,,Earthsea" masterpiece and all the other great books! Rest in peace, we will miss you .
Ursula, your books were one of the reasons I came to Earth. In 1974 I peeked in at the world and said, "Oh, Ursula is there. I'll go ahead then. All will be well." It's been tough, but easier since I found you. Deep love, Jess Hagan
October 21, 2016 Happy Birthday, Ursula! I send the love of a reader to a favorite author for 40 years. My copy of "Words Are My Matter" arrived a few days ago. Looking forward to reading with fall light and a bowl of apples.
Here's one of those stories, using imagination along with an unflinching take on where we are today in terms of environmental relations. It's called "City Living, Nature Calling" and is an 'ecomythic' documentary for our times: see it at startsomegood.com/clnc
Bring out the heavy guns, writers. Ursula just urged us on, and she should have brought the best out of you, if not tears. Bravo. Beautiful. Wonderful.
"We will need writers who can remember freedom.'' -powerful. Profound. *I'd rather hear her speak about writing and her philosophies than read her books.
One of the bravest novelists known to mankind. Being a sci-fi novelist and having the courage to criticize the current economic system at the same time is something most artists cowardly avoid. May she rest in peace.
Her speech gets me things of Jerry Mcquire. During the career of Ursula Le Guin, did she suffer the disciple of doing the "good' things? Show me the Money - Jerry Maguire ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FFrag8ll85w.html Careful as "we" will, careful as "we go.
In the context of awards ceremonies and artistic get-togethers these kinds of fancy words always go over well as they pander to the mystery and complexity of human life even as how every day we willingly and eagerly stuff ourselves into the formulas and technologies that make life easier by mechanizing ourselves to ourselves.
Well said! Well said, indeed! Her speech is very much akin to my own opinions on this matter. In SF many themes revolve around "existential threats' (rouge AI, asteriod impacts, zombies, etc) but Le Guin mentions the one overriding threat however. Profit Motive. The desire for profit at any cost will destroy us long before any war, plague or pestilence!
Ya gotta love her taking up for the publishers. No one has exploited writers more than the traditional publishing industry. But they signed her checks so....
did you listen to the talk? She blatantly says her own publishers profit off bullshit eBook prices at the local library. 3:00. What an effective troll you are.
I just finished writing my first book in Amazon Kindle. In truth I would call it a helpful guide about stress management with a free guided relaxation in the booklet, in that sense not a 'real book', but a self-help book. The thing is I worked on this for a long time. I do not consider myself a great writer, but I wanted to make something that would help people, something I would not be ashamed of, so I put a lot of effort into it. Recently I purchased a course that talks about writing Kindle books and how to describe and market them. I was greatly angered when I picked up some of the advice in this course. It said to create several pseudonyms, and to write under these names. It also said to have all of the writing done by outsourcing it and to 'write' somewhere around five books per month, which are only ten pages in length. Even if the five books are only ten or so pages on length and even if you are selling them for five bucks or less, almost no one can proofread and correct that many books per month and keep the content high quality and relative to the topic. Which is to say this method is an unethical way to rip people off and it poisons the well for real writers.
01:34 Rejoicing in accepting a beautiful reward for all excluded fantasy and science fiction writers 03:08 The importance of writers who can see alternatives and imagine hope 03:55 Publishers charging libraries more for e-books than customers 05:29 The profit motive is often in conflict with the aims of art. 06:09 The speaker talks about the importance of freedom and thanks the audience Crafted by Merlin AI.
