Invisible Writer: A Biography of Joyce Carol Oates
Document Type
Book
Publication Date
1998
Abstract
With Oates's cooperation and that of her family, friends, and acquaintances, Johnson provides a comprehensive close-up and personal view of the prolific, controversial 20th-century writer. From Oates's birth in Lockport, New York, to her present life in Princeton, New Jersey, Johnson skillfully interweaves the background, personality, character, lifestyle, and writings of the author. Through this fascinating and well-written biography, readers will feel that they know Oates almost as well as anyone can and may find themselves vacillating between great admiration and empathy for the life of this writer possessed by an insatiable desire for writing, but also possessing an unstoppable, inventive imagination and the incredible energy necessary to feed the desire. Whether or not a fan of Oates's writings, anyone interested in literary biography should read this intriguing account of the extraordinary life of a writer.