Yesterday, GalleyCat interviewed Chad W. Post from the University of Rochester's Open Letter Books about the new Nobel Prize winner.

Post noted that French author Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio would be a tough sell in the current book market, and criticized Slate author Adam Kirsch for writing that "America should respond [to anti-American bias] ... by seceding, once and for all, from the sham that the Nobel Prize for literature has become." His comments touched on a couple hot button issues for American writers, trying to access our literary place in the world during these turbulent times.

The interview generated some passionate responses from readers. One wrote: "Defending one--or a very few--of America's broad, deep writers is NOT 'gross nationalism'... There was a time, not that long ago, when Mr. Le Clezio was published and reviewed in a major way in America."

A reader named Kerstin replied with some biographical notes:

"[Nobel] wanted the prize to go to a writer involved in the human condition and in giving the reader hope. No easy combination ... Unable to find a job in France [Le Clezio] had to travel widely and has settled in Albuquerque where he was offered a position to his liking. (God bless America)."

For a complete round-up of national and international reactions to the Nobel announcement, Literary Saloon has the best round-up.