Horace Engdahl, head of the Nobel literature committee, said today that U.S. literature is too insular and ignorant to compete with European writing.

“Of course there is powerful literature in all big cultures,” he said in an AP interview, “but you can’t get away from the fact that Europe still is the center of the literary world…not the United States.” He continued by saying, “The U.S. is too isolated, too insular.  They don’t translate enough and don’t really participate in the big dialogue of literature.  That ignorance is restraining.”

Now we know why the last American to receive a Nobel in literature was Toni Morrison in 1993.  Naturally, his interview has sparked a lot of outcry.  Harold Augenbraum, executive director of the foundation that administers the National Book Awards, said, “Such a comment makes me think that Mr. Engdahl has read little of American literature outside the mainstream and has a very narrow view of what constitutes literature in this age.”

There’s no denying that the U.S. can be insular in some respects – but the same can be said of Europe.  The Nobel has long been biased towards European writers (since 1994, nine of the winners have been from Europe, while the other four had strong European ties), but I’m surprised Engdahl is being so upfront about that bias – if he even realizes it is a bias. 

This year’s award will be announced in a few weeks, but I wouldn’t hold my breath, Joyce Carol Oates.