Of the widow's countless death-duties there is really just one that matters: on the first anniversary of her husband's death the widow should think I kept myself alive.
Joyce Carol OatesRead
No, the thing is, we all love storytelling, and as a writer you get to tell stories all the time.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Storytelling is a fundamental human experience, and writers have the unique opportunity to share narratives with others.
In this quote, Joyce Carol Oates emphasizes the universal appeal of storytelling and the intrinsic joy it brings to both the teller and the audience. As a writer, the ability to weave tales means participating in a rich tradition that connects people through shared experiences and emotions, highlighting the importance of narratives in our lives.
Themes
StorytellingWritingNarrativesCreativityHuman Experience
In practice
Example use cases
During a writing workshop, discussing the importance of storytelling as a way to connect with others.
More from Joyce Carol Oates
All quotes βI never really knew I wanted to 'be' a writer, but I was always writing from a very young age. It became more conscious as an ideal when I was in my twenties.
Joyce Carol OatesRead
I'm drawn to write about upstate New York in the way in which a dreamer might have recurring dreams. My childhood and girlhood were spent in upstate New York, in the country north of Buffalo and West of Rochester. So this part of New York state is very familiar to me and, with its economic difficulties, has become emblematic of much of American life.
Joyce Carol OatesRead
My writing is often a way of 'bearing witness' for others who lack the education and the opportunity to tell their own stories, so I hope that my writing won't be affected too much by my personal life.
Joyce Carol OatesRead
The worst cynicism: a belief in luck.
Joyce Carol OatesRead
. . . there is a wish in the heart of mankind to be distracted and confused. Truth is but one attraction, and not always the most powerful.
Joyce Carol OatesRead
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You have to be careful about over-politicizing the utterances of people of colour because, oftentimes, there's poetry that seeks to go beyond that narrative.
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What I'm trying to do is just sing what comes to my body in the context of the song. And if you go by the emotion of the song, it's almost like stepping into a city. Cities have certain customs and rules and laws you can break, and that's what I was doing.
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Life has been your art. You have set yourself to music. Your days are your sonnets.
Oscar WildeRead