Yesterday, after winning the Nobel Prize for literature, Elfriede Jelinek told reporters she felt “more despair than peace.” An article in the Times hints at why:

In an interview with Swedish Radio from her home in Vienna, Ms. Jelinek said the prize was “surprising and a great honor,” but she said she was unable to travel to Stockholm for the awards ceremony in December. She told Reuters: “I am not mentally able to withstand that. I have a social phobia and cannot stand these large crowds of people. But I will certainly write a speech.”