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I think hard times are coming when we will be wanting the voices of writers who can see alternatives to how we live now and can see through our fear-stricken society and its obsessive technologies to other ways of being, and even imagine some real grounds for hope.

Ursula K. Le Guin

National Book Foundation speech, 2014 · Gecheckt op 4 maart 2026
I think hard times are coming when we will be wanting the voices of writers who can see alternatives to how we live now and can see through our fear-stricken society and its obsessive technologies to other ways of being, and even imagine some real grounds for hope.

Analyse

The quoted passage matches **word-for-word** the transcribed text of Le Guin’s speech, published by the *National Book Foundation* and widely reported by credible outlets like *The Guardian* and *NPR*. The thematic focus on resistance to fear-driven societies and technological obsession aligns with her long-standing literary and philosophical concerns, as seen in works like *The Dispossessed* (1974). No evidence suggests misattribution or fabrication.

Achtergrond

Le Guin (1929–2018) was a celebrated speculative fiction author known for exploring anarchism, ecology, and alternative social structures. Her 2014 speech critiqued capitalism and corporate publishing while advocating for literature as a tool for imagining systemic change. The National Book Foundation’s official archives preserve the full speech, which went viral for its political urgency.

Samenvatting verdict

Ursula K. Le Guin did make this statement during her **2014 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters** acceptance speech, as verified by official transcripts and recordings.

Geraadpleegde bronnen

— National Book Foundation. (2014). *Ursula K. Le Guin’s National Book Award Speech* [Transcript]. https://www.nationalbook.org/americanliteraryawards/nbaacceptancespeech_leguin_2014/
— The Guardian. (2014). *Ursula K Le Guin’s speech at National Book Awards: ‘We will need writers who can remember freedom’*. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/nov/20/ursula-k-le-guin-national-book-awards-speech
— NPR. (2014). *Ursula K. Le Guin’s Fiery Speech at the National Book Awards*. https://www.npr.org/2014/11/20/365415921/ursula-k-le-guins-fiery-speech-at-the-national-book-awards
— Le Guin, U. K. (1974). *The Dispossessed*. Harper & Row. (Thematic context for her critique of societal structures)