What is Joyce Carol Oates known for?

Almost every article on Joyce Carol Oates begins with the astounding number of books the veteran writer has written. So far there are about 100 titles, including novels, plays, short stories, poetry, and non-fiction. What’s the secret of her success? Her work is ethic. At 81, Oates zealously writes for at least seven hours daily and regularly tweets on social media on issues close to her heart. It’s the love of writing that drives her.

A child prodigy

Born on June 16, 1963, Oates was the first in her family to graduate from high school. Growing up on a small farm outside the town of Millersport in New York, she attended a one-room school, where all the students studied in a single classroom irrespective of their age. Even in such a dismal setting, Oates shone. Recognising her talent, she was transferred to bigger suburban schools. In 1956, she graduated from Williamsville South High School, making her family proud.

Grandmother’s gifts

Oates’ grandmother played a special role in her life. She encouraged her to read from a young age. Oates’ foray into reading was Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, which was a gift from her grandmother and she considers it one of her childhood treasures. Her love for books blossomed over time and she fervently devoured books by Emily Bronte, William Faulkner and even the complicated tomes of Dostoevsky.

Reading inspired her to try her hand at writing. When she turned 14, her grandmother yet again steered her in the right direction by giving her a typewriter. And there was no looking back after that. She churned out one story after the other and soon, won the Scholastic Art and Writing award.

She later published The Gravedigger’s Daughter based on her grandmother’s life.

Milestones ahead

Oates won a scholarship to attend Syracuse University, where she honed her writing skills further. She was introduced to more complex writers such as Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka and D. H. Lawrence. Her writing improved and she bagged a college short story award at 19.

After becoming a Phi Beta Kappa, the top honours at Syracuse University, she went on to pursue her post-graduation in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a doctorate from the Rice University. She decided to become a full-time writer.

Fresh out of college, Vanguard Press published Oates’ first book, the short-story collection By the North Gate, in 1963, and later, her first novel, With Shuddering Fall, when she was 26.

An all-rounder

A multi-talented Oates is lauded for her ability to write across different formats and genres on any topic, from powerful human emotions and inner lives of celebrities to the realities of the working class to semi-biographical works and even a fictional, but unerringly accurate, account of the lives of boxers.

Oates also loves writing for young adults and children because it gives her a chance to write happy endings and positive resolutions. Two or Three Things I Forgot to Tell You, After the Wreck, I Picked Myself Up, Spread my Wings, and Flew Away, Freaky Green Eyes and Big Mouth & Ugly Girl are some of her popular young adult books dealing with topics such as teenage friendships, loss and addiction, and school violence.

Her writing style is quite unique, a blend of colloquial language and contemporary cultural and political references. In 1998, Oates received the F. Scott Fitzgerald Award for Achievement in American Literature.

The mystery lady

Oates ventured into mystery writing under the veil of anonymity. She wrote several books, mostly suspense novels, under the pen names Rosamond Smith and Lauren Kelly. However, her cover was blown in the late 1980s when her publisher and agents found out that Rosamond Smith, who wrote Lives of the Twins, a short psychological thriller, was not a first-time author as she claimed.

Disappointed at being found Oates swore not to write under pseudonyms again. But she soon broke her promise, publishing a total of eight books under the Rosamond Smith moniker as well as another three novels as Lauren Kelly. Eventually, it was revelaed that Rosamond Smith wasn’t her first pseudonym. She had also published several stories under the name Rae Jolene Smith.

From writer to publisher

Distressed by the Detroit race riots and the U.S. waging war on Vietnam, Oates took the bold step of moving to Canada. With considerable writing experience under her belt, Oates along with her husband forayed into publishing. In 1974, she founded a literary magazine (as the assisstent editor) called Ontario Review in Canada. The idea was to provide a platform to showcase literature from the U.S. and Canada. Later, the duo set up a publishing house, Ontario Review Books.

A gifted teacher

Oates was also an exceptional teacher. She has taught creative writing at the University of Detroit and at Princeton. She is currently visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where she teaches short fiction. Countless young writers in the U.S. credit Oates with shaping their writing. Jonathan Safron Foer, the bestselling author of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, who took an introductory writing course with Oates in 1995 is one of them. Oates helped him find his voice as a writer.

Goldmine of stories

It’s no wonder that Oates has been frequently nominated for the Pulitzer Prize; and is one of the crowd favourites for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her storytelling has won many awards including the National Book Award and the prestigious O. Henry Award twice. She is also the recipient of the National Humanities Medal and the Jerusalem Prize. So if you haven’t read any of her books yet, just grab a copy and start reading.

 

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