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Quote by Joyce Carol Oates

“After my husband died, I could not write much - I could not concentrate. I was too exhausted most of the time even to contemplate writing. But I did take notes - not for fiction, but for a journal, or diary, of this terrible time. I did not think that I would ever survive this interlude.”

Quote by Joyce Carol Oates

Author

Joyce Carol Oates

Joyce Carol Oates is a renowned American author born on June 16, 1938. Her works span various literary forms such as novels, poetry, and drama, known for her unique narrative techniques and profound thematic explorations. more

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“Among many of my friends and acquaintances, I seem to be one of the very few individuals who felt or feels no ambivalence about my mother. All my feelings for my mother were positive, very strong and abiding.”

Feels Feelings Seems Mother Individual Strong Felt My Friends Very Strong Acquaintance Abiding Ambivalence

Author:Joyce Carol Oates

“Any kind of creative activity is likely to be stressful. The more anxiety, the more you feel that you are headed in the right direction. Easiness, relaxation, comfort - these are not conditions that usually accompany serious work.”

Feels Kind Creative Conditions Serious Comfort Activity Anxiety Relaxation Stressful Accompany Right Direction Easiness Serious Work

Author:Joyce Carol Oates

“As a farm girl, even when I was quite young, I had my 'farm chores' - but I had time also to be alone, to explore the fields, woods and creek side. And to read.”

Young Girl Sides Fields Woods Farms Chores Creeks Farm Girl

Author:Joyce Carol Oates

“As soon as I moved to Princeton in 1978, I became fascinated by local history, much of it Revolutionary War-era; and I became fascinated by the presidency of Woodrow Wilson at Princeton University.”

War Moved University Locals Eras Revolutionary Fascinated Presidency Wilson Revolutionary War Princeton Local History Princeton University

Author:Joyce Carol Oates

“Criticism is, for me, like essay writing, a wonderful way of relaxation; it doesn't require a heightened and mediated voice, like prose fiction, but rather a calm, rational, even conversational voice.”

Way Writing Voice Fiction Wonderful Criticism Calm Rational Prose Essays Relaxation Essay Writing

Author:Joyce Carol Oates

“For some reason, voters can be brainwashed, and they vote sometimes against their own best interests, let alone voting against the interests of people who need them, like people who are disenfranchised and people who are poor and so forth.”

People Needs Sometimes Reason Interest Poor Vote Voting Voters Brainwashed Disenfranchised

Author:Joyce Carol Oates

“Henry James's later works would have been better had he resisted that curious sort of self-indulgence, dictating to a secretary. The roaming garrulousness of ordinary speech is usually corrected when it's transcribed into written prose.”

Has Beens Self Written Speech Ordinary Curious Prose Secretary Indulgence Self Indulgence Roaming Dictating

Book:Conversations with Joyce Carol Oates

Source: Conversations with Joyce Carol Oates

“Honorary degrees and lifetime achievement awards are very encouraging. I know that it might sound strange that a writer who has published many books still needs encouragement, but this is true.”

Knows Needs Stills Book Might Sound Strange Degrees Achievement Encouragement Lifetime Awards Encouraging Honorary Lifetime Achievement Need Encouragement

Author:Joyce Carol Oates

“I always rewrite the very beginning of a novel. I rewrite the beginning as I write the ending, so I may spend part of morning writing the ending, the last 100 pages approximately, and then part of the morning revising the beginning. So the style of the novel has a consistency.”

Writing May Lasts Morning Novel Style Pages Consistency Revising

Author:Joyce Carol Oates

“I am not conscious of working especially hard, or of 'working' at all. Writing and teaching have always been, for me, so richly rewarding that I don't think of them as work in the usual sense of the word.”

Thinking Writing Hard Teaching Conscious Usual

Author:Joyce Carol Oates