“Oh Christ! I couldn’t care less!” said Doris Lessing upon hearing she had won the 2007 Nobel Prize for literature. Such a response wasn’t a surprise from a writer who aimed to live as freely as possible, unencumbered by neither societies expectations nor accolades.
Lessing carved her own distinct and liberated route through motherhood, sexuality, politics, and mental health. These topics were best explored in, what is often considered her masterpiece, The Golden Notebook.
Published in 1962, The Golden Notebook broke the literary boundaries of novel structure and feminist dialogue. The work encouraged women to adopt a Lessing-esque lifestyle and to take control of their personal and professional lives, molding them however they saw fit.
She died Sunday, November 17th, at her home in London, England. It’s fair to say there will never be another woman quite like her.
Thanks to the New York Times
Image via Jonathan Player/New York Times
