On July 13, 2014, Nadine Gordimer passed away at the age of ninety years old. First and foremost a writer of fiction, Gordimer’s work encompassed and affected much more than the world of letters. The winner of the 1991 Nobel Prize in literature, Gordimer was known for her role as an activist in apartheid-era South Africa and her resulting influence on Nelson Mandela and her country. Gordimer’s novels and stories recorded the lives of individuals, the complexity of human relationships, and the tolls exacted by racial conflict. As an author, Gordimer sought to illuminate the mysteries and complexities of life. Her own life and fiction presented us with stories which helped us approach a new understanding of what humanity could mean, even when we were faced with the reflection of our less-than-perfect selves. Though she is gone, it is through what she accomplished in life that we, and future generations…