A tribute to the brilliant craftsmanship of one of our most distinguished writers, providing valuable insight into her inspiration and her method
Joyce Carol Oates is widely regarded as one of America's greatest contemporary literary figures. Having written in a number of genres -- prose, poetry, personal and critical essays, as well as plays -- she is an artist ideally suited to answer essential questions about what makes a story striking, a novel come alive, a writer an artist as well as a craftsman.
In The Faith of a Writer, Oates discusses the subjects most important to the narrative craft, touching on topics such as inspiration, memory, self-criticism, and "the unique power of the unconscious." On a more personal note, she speaks of childhood inspirations, offers advice to young writers, and discusses the wildly varying states of mind of a writer at work. Oates also pays homage to those she calls her "significant predecessors" and discusses the importance of reading in the life of a writer.
Oates claims, "Inspiration and energy and even genius are rarely enough to make 'art': for prose fiction is also a craft, and craft must be learned, whether by accident or design." In fourteen succinct chapters, The Faith of a Writer provides valuable lessons on how language, ideas, and experience are assembled to create art.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Writers in rabbit holes:
"Art," writes Joyce Carol Oates, "is the highest expression of the human spirit." And while humankind has often struggled to express why it is that art is so very necessary to our spirits (why is art the first course cut in public education when budgets require constraint?), we cannot exist without it. Art is, in great part, our communication with each other, our attempt as social animals to connect, but first and foremost, as Oates goes on to describe, it is our solitary striving to go deep - into... more info
A fantastic trip into Ms. Oates world:
Joyce Carol Oates created a wonderful insight to her literary world. I'm a big fan of Ms. Oates and it was a special treat for me to read about her writing process and her love for the written word. Highly recommend.
Educational, but still a wonderful read.:
I thought this memoir of Joyce Carol Oates life and career was just a wonderful piece of literature. The twelve essays were given in such a way that I could easy understand. The essays explore Ms. Oates' driving force in her career as a writer. These essays are very educational for aspiring authors and even for those folks like me that just want to learn about a great writer such as Ms. Oates. There were detail discussion by the author on her daily life; her creative condemnation sessions and many others.... more info
Inside the Mind of a Genius Writer:
This amazing, awesome little book was totally NOT what I was expecting. Like a previous writer said, it was more of a memoir, but a memoir of her writing history, her early inspiration (Edgar Allen Poe/Lewis Carroll) and her early schooling. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I discovered she read and has been influenced Poe. I won't give away why he left such an impression on her at such an early age (eight!), but suffice it to say, it was enlightening and made me think about the books... more info
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