About
Joyce Carol Oates is a prolific American novelist, poet, and playwright, born in Lockport, New York. A graduate of Syracuse University and holding a master's from the University of Wisconsin, she published her first short story collection in 1963. She won the National Book Award for her novel 'them' and has been a Pulitzer Prize finalist multiple times. Professor emerita at Princeton, she has also written under pseudonyms. Her work explores violence, social class, and female identity.
* 1938-06-16
Major works
- them (1969)novel
- Black Water (1992)novel
- We Were the Mulvaneys (1996)novel
- Blonde (2000)novel
- The Gravedigger's Daughter (2007)novel
Key milestones
- 1970Wins the National Book Award for the novel 'them'
- 1978Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters
- 2010Receives the National Humanities Medal
Themes
ViolenceSocial classFemale identityTraumaRural America
Sources: dof.princeton.edu · loc.gov