“While the storm in an imperialist teacup about the award of this year’s Nobel prize for literature to JMG Le Clézio rages on, and the debate about the ills and virtues of American writing simmers away, I fear the fierce debate is overshadowing the fact he is a most worthy winner of the prestigious prize. That he is virtually out of print in English is both sad and a reflection of our traditional insularity and lack of curiosity for foreign culture.”