Den motvillige pristagaren

"There had been warnings. A bunch of white roses was brought to the door that morning. But nothing official. As we went to bed we had no idea of the awfulness awaiting us. I had dosed off, but was jerked awake by a bell ringing, followed by a banging on the front door. It had happened all right. Never the best watch dog, Manoly went down to face whatever we had to face. An advance phalanx of reporters told him I had won the Prize and that I had better come down."

Utdraget ovan är från Patrick Whites självbiografi "Flaws in the Glass" och det handlar så klart om ögonblicket då han inser att han tilldelats Nobelpriset i litteratur (1973 var året). White vägrade att komma ut från sitt hus och de journalister och fotografer som skockats utanför hans hem fick vänta förgäves vid det tillfället men senare skulle han inte undgå all uppmärksamhet.

" I was no longer a human being. I was the object their profession demanded. Questions were asked interminably. How ridiculous many of these were did not matter in the least; the pervs and parasites had to get on with their job.--- Manoly who in some circumstances has more presentiment than I, predicted, 'Our lives will never be the same.' He was right."

Patrick White for aldrig till Stockholm. I stället skickades Sid Nolan men de stora festligheterna gjorde Nolan så nervös att han tog till flaskan. Det dröjde ett bra tag innan han hämtade sig och länge hade White dåligt samvete för det han utsatte sin vän för.