I feel akin to [William] Shakespeare in the sense that, as I see it, he lived to dramatize the unfailingly exciting, unfathomably strange interplay among human beings that constitutes "scenes" in his plays, and constitutes "story" in prose fiction. Joyce Carol Oates More Quotes by Joyce Carol Oates More Quotes From Joyce Carol Oates I remember once asking Grandma about a book she was reading, a biography of Abraham Lincoln, and how she answered me: this was the first conversation of my life that concerned a book, and 'the life of the mind' - and now, such subjects have become my life. Joyce Carol Oates grandma reading book My self is all to me. I don't have any need of you. Joyce Carol Oates self needs But he doesn't love her. I invented that. It is a plot if you imagine people in love--the lazy looping criss crosses of love, blows, stares, tears. No. It doesn't happen. No love. People meet, touch, stare into one another's faces, shake their heads clear, move on, forget. It doesn't happen. Joyce Carol Oates blow people moving My grandmother could never have written a memoir, so 'The Gravedigger's Daughter' is a homage to her life, and to the lives of other young women of her generation, which are so rarely articulated. Joyce Carol Oates grandmother generations daughter Only in love is there trust - even the possibility of trust. Joyce Carol Oates possibility love-is My own way of writing is very meditated and, despite my reputation, rather slow-moving. So I do spend a good deal of time contemplating endings. The final ending is usually arrived at simply by intuition. Joyce Carol Oates intuition writing moving You don't have to understand why anything that has happened nor do you even have to understand what it is that has happened. You have only to live with the remains. Joyce Carol Oates remains happened The danger of motherhood. you relive your early self, through the eyes of your mother. Joyce Carol Oates eye self mother 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 Oates stories writing opportunity People have libraries at home, they have bookshelves, they have CDs. And they sort of try, people try to bring great artists into their lives, into their physical houses and sort of live with portions of them. But they're not really deeply engaging with them. Joyce Carol Oates cds artist home For what are the words with which to summarize a lifetime, so much crowded confused happiness terminated by such stark slow-motion pain? Joyce Carol Oates slow-motion confused pain In a family, what isn't spoken is what you listen for. But the noise of a family is to drown it out. Joyce Carol Oates noise Society is the picnic certain individuals leave early, the party they fail to enjoy, the musical comedy they find not worth the price of admission. Joyce Carol Oates picnics musical party Was it confusing because it was artistic, or artistic because it was confusing? Joyce Carol Oates artistic confusing People who are disenfranchised politically and people who are poor often don't vote. They often don't elect politicians, so the politicians who are supporting them are really being very charitable, because they're not going to give them billions of dollars in campaign funds. Joyce Carol Oates dollars giving people Probably nothing serious or worthwhile can be accomplished without one's willingness to be alone for sustained periods of time, which is not to say that one must live alone, obsessively. Joyce Carol Oates worthwhile serious periods This was before voice mail, recorded phone messages you can't escape. Life was easier then. You just didn't pick up the phone. Joyce Carol Oates phones voice mail . . . 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 Oates confused powerful heart It feels good, honey, but it isn't love. Joyce Carol Oates feel-good feels honey I love insult, it's always honest. Joyce Carol Oates insult honest
