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Friday, October 12, 2007 - 3A


Lessing wins Nobel Prize

LANSING
Stem cell ban
repeal could be on
2008 state ballot
A group that supports lifting
restrictions on embryonic stem
cell research in Michigan has filed
paperwork with the state that
could lead to a ballot proposal for
its effort.
The drive to allow more embry-
onic stem cell research could target
the November 2008 ballot. But sup-
porters said yesterday the effort is
exploratory at this point and more
work needs to be done before they
would decide to proceed.
"We're strictly exploring the possi-
bility right now," said Dave Waymire,
a Lansing-based spokesman for the
group. "There are a lot of things that
stillwouldhave tobe done."
WASHINGTON
U.S.: High-tech
weapons being
smuggled to China
Missile technology, fighter jet
parts, night vision goggles and
other U.S. wartime equipment
increasingly are being illegally
smuggled to potential adversaries,
such as China and Iran, the federal
government said yesterday.
Last week, two Utah men were
arrested for allegedly trying to sell
parts over the Internet for F-4 and
F-14 fighter jets - which are only
flown by Iran. The week before,
two engineers were indicted in San
Jose, Calif., on charges of stealing
computer chip designs intended for
the Chinese military.
Government lawyers and investi-
gators yesterday described a grow-
ingnumber ofunauthorized exports
that could be dangerous if the parts
and supplies end up in the hands of
terrorists or hostile nations.
ANKARA, Turkey
Turkey recalls
envoy to U.S. over
Armenian genocide
Turkey, which is a key supply
route to U.S. troops in Iraq, recalled
its ambassador to Washington
yesterday and warned of serious
repercussions if Congress labels
the killing of Armenians by Turks a
century ago as genocide.
Ordered after a House commit-
tee endorsed the genocide measure,
the summons of the ambassador for
consultations was a further sign of
the deterioratingrelations between
two longtime allies and the poten-
tial for new turmoil in an already
troubled region.
Egeman Bagis, an aide to Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
told Turkish media that Turkey
- a conduit for many of the sup-
plies shipped to American bases in
both Iraq and Afghanistan - might
have to "cut logistical support to
the U.S."
BAGHDAD
U.S. attack kills 15

civilians in attack
aimed at al-Qaida
A U.S. attack killed 19 insurgents
and 15 civilians, including nine
children, northwest of the capi-
tal yesterday - one of the heaviest
civilian death tolls in an American
operation in recent months. The
military said it was targeting senior
leaders of al-Qaida in Iraq.
American forces have applied
fierce and determined pressure on
militants, especially al-Qaida in
Iraq, since the full contingent of
additional U.S. troops arrived June
15. But Prime Minister Nouri al-
Maliki has recently confronted top
American commander Gen. David
Petraeus about what he sees as
overly aggressive U.S. tactics that
harm innocent civilians, according
to Iraqi officials.
- Compiled from
Daily wire reports
U..CASUALTIES
3,821
Number of American service mem-
bers who have died in the War in
Iraq, according to The Associated
Press. The following service mem-
ber was identified by the Depart-
ment of Defense yesterday:
Army Sgt. Jason M. Lantieri,
25, Killingworth, Conn.

Persian-born novelist longtime."
As the persistent sound of her
never finished ringing phone came from inside
the house, Lessing said that on
high school second thought, she was not as
surprised "because this has been
going on for something like 40
By MOTOKO RICH years," referring to the number of
and SARAH LYALL times she has been mentioned as a
TheNew York Times likely honoree. "Either they were
going to give it to me sometime
Doris Lessing, the Persian- before I popped off or not at all."
born, Rhodesian-raised and After a few moments, Lessing,
London-residing novelist whose who is stout, sharp and a bit hard
deeply autobiographical writing of hearing, excused herself to go
has swept across continents and inside. "Now I'm going to go in to
reflects her engagement with the answer my telephone," she said. "I
social and political issues of her swear I'm going upstairs to find
time, yesterday won the 2007 some suitable sentences, which I
Nobel Prize in Literature. will be using from now on."
Announcing the award in Although Lessing is passionate
Stockholm, the Swedish Academy about social and political issues,
described her as "that epicist of the she is unlikely to be as controver-
female experience, who with skep- sial as the previous two winners,
ticism, fire and visionary power Orhan Paniuk of Turkey or Har-
has subjected a. divided civiliza- old Pinter of Britain, whose views
tion to scrutiny." The award comes on current political situations led
with a 10 million Swedish crown commentators to suspect that the
honorarium, about $1.6 million. Swedish Academy was choosing
Lessing, who turns 88 this its winners in part for nonliterary
month, never finished high school reasons.
and largely educated herself Lessing's strongest legacy may
through voracious reading. She be that she inspired ageneration of
has written dozens of books of fic- feminists with her breakthrough
tion, as well as plays, nonfiction novel, "The Golden Notebook." In,
and two volumes of autobiogra- its citation, the Swedish Academy
phy. She is the 11th woman to win said: "The burgeoning feminist
the Nobel Prize in Literature. movement saw it as a pioneering
Lessing learned of the news work, and it belongs to the hand-
from a group of reporters camped ful of books that informed the
on her doorstep as she returned 20th-century view of the male-
from a visit to the hospital with female relationship."
her son. "I was a bit surprised Lessing wrote candidly about
because I had forgotten about it the inner lives of women and
actually," she said. "My name has rejected the notion that they
been on the short list for such a should limit their lives to mar-
GOT A NEWS TIP?
E-mail news@michigandaily.com
or call the newsroom at 734-763-2459.

riage and children. "The Golden
Notebook," published in 1962,
tracked t'he story of Anna Wulf, a
woman who wanted to live freely
and was, in some ways, Lessing's
alter ego.
Because she frankly described
anger and aggression in women,
she was attacked as "unfemi-
nine." In response Lessing wrote,
"Apparently what many women
were thinking, feeling, experienc-
ing came as a great surprise."
Although she has been held up
as an early heroine of feminism,
Lessing later denied that she her-
self was a feminist, for which she
received the ire of some British
critics and academics.
Lessing was born Doris May
Tayler in 1919 in what is now Iran.
Her father was a bank clerk, and
her mother was trained as a nurse.
Lured by the promise of farming
riches, the family moved to what
is now Zimbabwe, where Lessing
had what she has called a painful
childhood.
She left home when she was 15,
and in 1937 she moved to Salisbury
(now Harare) in Southern Rhode-
sia, where she took jobs as a tele-
phone operator and nursemaid.
She married at 19 and had, two
children. A few years later, feeling
imprisoned, she abandoned her
family. She later married Gott-
fried Lessing, a central member of
the left-wing Left Book Club, and
they had a son.
Lessing, who joined the Com-
munist Party in Africa, repudi-
ated Marxist theory during the
Hungarian crisis of 1956, a view
for which she was criticized by
some British academics.

I

Doris Lessing won the Nobel Prize in Literature yesterday. She inspired a generatior
of femi ks with novels su dthe inner lives of women. He most famous book, "The
Golden Notebook," was published is 1962.

.......... - .......... ............................ .................... .......................... .....................................

. Peter Railton
John Stephenson Perrin Professor of Philosophy
DeSirfe AND
Rationality
Wednesday, October 17,2007
4:10 PM Rackham Amphitheater
S A For Mose Information Call (734) 615-6449

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