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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 13 august 2018

Nobel Prize-winning author V.S. Naipaul dies at 85

By SYLVIA HUI suffered a period of pov-
Associated Press erty and unemployment:
LONDON (AP) — V.S. Nai- he was asthmatic, starving
paul, the Trinidad-born and depending on his wife
Nobel laureate whose cel- for income. Despite his Ox-
ebrated writing and brittle, ford education, he found
provocative personality himself surrounded by a
drew admiration and re- hostile, xenophobic Lon-
vulsion in equal measures, don.
died Saturday at his Lon- “These people want to
don home, his family said. break my spirit ... They want
He was 85. me to know my place,” he
His wife, Nadira Naipaul, wrote bitterly to his wife.
said he was “a giant in all Naipaul eventually landed
that he achieved and he a radio job working for BBC
died surrounded by those World Service, where he
he loved having lived a life discussed West Indian lit-
which was full of wonderful erature and found his foot-
creativity and endeavor.” ing as a writer. His break-
Naipaul was awarded the through came in 1957 with
Nobel Prize for Literature his first published novel “The
in 2001 “for having united Mystic Masseur,” a humor-
perceptive narrative and ous book about the lives of
incorruptible scrutiny in This 2001 file photo shows British author V.S. Naipaul in Salisbury, England. Associated Press powerless people in a Trini-
works that compel us to see widely praised for its com- Laureate Derek Walcott was determined to leave dad ghetto. In 1961, Nai-
the presence of suppressed passion toward the des- complained that the au- his homeland as soon as paul published “A House
histories.” titute and the displaced, thor’s prose was tainted by he could. In later years, he for Mr. Biswas,” which was
In an extraordinary career Naipaul himself offended his “repulsion towards Ne- would repeatedly reject widely acclaimed as a
spanning half a century, the many with his arrogant be- groes.” his birthplace as little more masterpiece. That novel,
writer traveled as a self-de- havior and jokes about for- C. L. R. James, a fellow than a plantation. about how one man’s life
scribed “barefoot colonial” mer subjects of the empire. Trinidadian writer, put it dif- “I was born there, yes,” he was restricted by the limits
from rural Trinidad to upper Among his widely quoted ferently: Naipaul’s views, said of Trinidad to an inter- of colonial society, was a
class England, picked up comments: He called India he wrote, simply reflected viewer in 1983. “I thought it tribute to Naipaul’s father.
the most coveted literary a “slave society,” quipped “what the whites want to was a great mistake.” In the years that followed,
awards and a knighthood, that Africa has no future, say but dare not.” In 1950, Naipaul was award- Naipaul was to travel for
and was hailed as one of and explained that Indian Vidiadhar Surajprasad Nai- ed one of a few available extensive periods to pen
the greatest English writers women wear a colored paul — Vidia to those who government scholarships journalistic essays and
of the 20th century. dot on their foreheads to knew him — was born on to study in England, and he travel books. He flew three
Naipaul’s books explored say “my head is empty.” He Aug. 17, 1932 in Trinidad, left his family to begin his times to India, his ances-
colonialism and decolo- laughed off the 1989 fatwa a descendant of impov- studies in English literature tral home, to write about
nization, exile and the against Salman Rushdie as erished Indians shipped to at University College, Ox- its culture and politics. He
struggles of the everyman “an extreme form of literary the West Indies as bonded ford. spent time in Buenos Aires,
in the developing world — criticism.” laborers. There he met his first wife, Argentina to write about its
themes that mirror his per- The critic Terry Eagleton His father was an aspiring, Patricia Hale, whom he former First Lady Eva Peron,
sonal background and tra- once said of Naipaul: self-taught novelist whose married in 1955 without tell- and went to Iran, Pakistan
jectory. “Great art, dreadful poli- ambitions were killed by ing his family. and Indonesia for books
Although his writing was tics.” Caribbean Nobel lack of opportunity; the son After graduation, Naipaul about Islam. q

Lucero’s sound reflects polish of 20-year journey

By SCOTT STROUD, Associ- crafted, its lyrics and play- ness, poignant storytelling The effect is more sophis-
ated Press ing are more mature, and built around a Civil War sol- ticated without losing the
Lucero, “Among the the rough-hewn sound that dier’s letter home, and hon- rawness that always gave
Ghosts” (Liberty & Lament/ was always charming but est, heartfelt love songs. Lucero its edge — which
Thirty Tigers) rarely transcendent is as Nichols’ maturity is obvious, might just make this the
Lucero has put out great re- good as it has ever been. though he’s as vulnerable band’s finest album yet.q
cords before, but for what- Gone are the piano and as ever. In the title cut, he
ever reason — geography, guitar licks that occasion- pines from the road for his
confusion over genre, a ally sounded too much wife and baby girl, singing
lack of recognition from like Bruce Springsteen, wistfully that “the first word
the folks who decide what though he remains an ob- she learned to say was
gets heard — the Memphis- vious influence. Gone, too, goodbye.”
based quintet has never at- are the petulant lyrics that The band’s playing rises
tained the level of stardom sometimes stood between to the challenge such inti-
it probably deserves. singer-songwriter Ben Nich- mate lyrics pose. Rick Steff’s
With “Among the Ghosts,” ols and greatness (a cer- piano is less derivative, a
its ninth studio album, a tain love song to his guitar more subtle complement
fine under-the-radar rock comes to mind). to the gritty guitar playing This cover image released by Liberty and Lament/Thirty Tigers
‘n’ roll band keeps getting In their place are gritty that still drives the band’s shows “Among the Ghosts,” a release by Lucero.
better. Its songs are better- meditations on homesick- sound.q Associated Press