I met her in 2002, in her rambling old house in Johannesburg. She was 78 then, thoughtful, prickly and tough as nails. When I asked how white liberals were faring at a time when some felt on the outs with the ANC government, she bristled: I happen to be white, but Im not a liberal, my dear, she said sharply. Im a leftist. In fact, she told me she was tired of all the questions she got from Americans and Europeans who worry about the plight of whites in post-apartheid South Africa. It is a stock question that Im asked whenever I travel: What is happening to whites? Ms. Gordimer said. But I say: Do you never think about what is happening to blacks? Do you think its all rosy? That the transition is not difficult for all people?
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 15:50:53 +0000