Ian Bunn | Political & Popular Culture Arts

Philip Milton Roth the 78 year old US novelist renowned for his controversial 1969 sexually explicit psychoanalytical novel Portnoy’s Complaint, has won the prestigious Man Booker International Prize at the Sydney Writer’s Festival. Chairman of the judging panel Dr Rick Gekoski, praised Roth’s 50-year career as remarkable for starting at such a high level and continuing to improve with age when most other novelists decline, referencing Roth’s most recent 2010 publication ‘Nemesis’.  However not all judges on the panel agreed. Critic Carmen Callil founder of the feminist publishing house Virago retired from the panel in protest claiming Roth did not even deserve to make the shortlist, and did not wish for her name to be associated with the award to Roth. Roth’s work usually focuses on explicit male sexuality.

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Anthony David Weiner the 46 year old US New York congressional Representative finally admitted sending sexually explicit photographs of himself to young female Twitter “followers” after having denied having done so for nearly two weeks. A ‘crutch’ image came to light after being received by a 21 year old college student, prompting Weiner to claim the image was not posted by him and that his Twitter account had been hacked, although he could not say “with certitude” the photograph was not of him. Weiner tearfully apologized for having sent explicit photographs over an extended period before and since his 2010 marriage that was officiated over by former president Bill Clinton, to Hillary Clinton’s personal aide Huma Abedin. Weiner stated he does not intent to resign his congressional seat.

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