Carol Smith

Joyce Carol Oates, born in 1938, is a highly productive American author who has published numerous novels, plays, novellas, short story collections, poetry, and nonfiction since her first book in 1963. Her significant literary achievements include multiple Pulitzer Prize nominations for works like 'Black Water,' 'What I Lived For,' and 'Blonde,' as well as winning the National Book Award for 'Them.' Oates has also been recognized with awards such as two O. Henry Awards, the National Humanities Medal, and the Jerusalem Prize.

Beyond her writing, Oates has had a distinguished academic career, teaching at institutions like Princeton University, where she holds an emerita professorship, and the University of California, Berkeley. She currently teaches at Rutgers University. Her early life in rural New York, marked by working-class farming experiences and significant family events, has influenced her writing, which frequently explores themes of violence, rural poverty, class conflict, and the complexities of childhood and adolescence.

Joyce Carol Oates has maintained an exceptionally prolific writing career since her debut in 1963, releasing a vast body of work that includes 58 novels, numerous plays and novellas, and extensive collections of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. Her literary contributions have garnered significant critical acclaim, with several of her novels, including 'Black Water' (1992), 'What I Lived For' (1994), and 'Blonde' (2000), being finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. She received the National Book Award for her 1969 novel 'Them,' and has also been honored with two O. Henry Awards, the National Humanities Medal, and the Jerusalem Prize. Oates's work often delves into challenging themes, and she has noted the pervasive influence of authors like Lewis Carroll, Charlotte Brontë, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and William Faulkner on her writing.

Born in Lockport, New York, Oates grew up on her parents' farm in a working-class, rural community. Her childhood was characterized by a "daily scramble for existence," though she described her family as "happy, close-knit and unextraordinary." Her early life was marked by profound experiences with violence, including the murder of her mother's father and an attempted murder-suicide involving her paternal grandmother. These experiences, along with her grandmother's life, later informed her novel 'The Gravedigger's Daughter.' A pivotal childhood gift of Lewis Carroll's 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' profoundly influenced her, alongside the works of writers like Charlotte Brontë and Fyodor Dostoevsky. She began writing at age 14 after receiving a typewriter.

Oates has also established a significant presence in academia. She taught at Princeton University from 1978 to 2014, where she remains the Roger S. Berlind '52 Professor Emerita in the Humanities. From 2016 to 2020, she was a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, focusing on short fiction. She currently teaches at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. In 1974, she co-founded The Ontario Review, a literary magazine aimed at bridging US and Canadian literary and artistic cultures. This was followed in 1980 by the founding of Ontario Review Books with her husband, Raymond J. Smith, an independent publishing house reflecting their shared passion for literature.

“the great treasure of my childhood, and the most profound literary influence of my life. This was love at first sight!”

“a happy, close-knit and unextraordinary family for our time, place and economic status”

“a daily scramble for existence”

“very close”

“a very exciting place academically and intellectually”