An article about literary maestro Joyce Carol Oates begs to begin with her renowned productivity. Between her first novel, published at age 26, and her newest, Babysitter, published 58 years later, Oates has written 60 novels—an average of two per year. The books’ subjects, structures, métiers vary. But they all push, slyly or overtly or both, hot cultural buttons: class, gender, race, Chappaquiddick, sexual assault, Marilyn Monroe, abortion, infidelity, cancer, suicide.
What's most astonishing about her oeuvre, though, isn't volume. It's craft. Turn to page one of any JCO novel and be carried away by its imaginative story arc, its right-on-time social critique, its distinctive protagonists. And, oh, the writing. Take Babysitter's first chapter, "She Asks Herself Why," reproduced here in its entirety.
Because he'd touched her. Just her wrist.
Denne historien er fra Volume 2. No 3 - 2022-utgaven av The Oprah US.
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Denne historien er fra Volume 2. No 3 - 2022-utgaven av The Oprah US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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The BEST BOOKS of 2024
We all loved Oprah's Book Club selections this year (did you read them all?), but here are our editors' favorite standouts on the shelves-from the thoughtprovoking to the heartwarming to the hilarious.
The Summer I TOOK My Mom "HOME"
Whenever I tell people about the Last Trip Home I took to Italy with my 87-year-old mother and my older son last summer, everyone has the same response (\"Awwww...\"), which makes me feel like a fraud because I know they're imagining some gauzy scene. And to be fair, I'd tried to plan it that way.
PARIS Made ME DO IT
Travel maybe shouldn't be any different than \"regular\" life, but it is.
LOST And Found IN AMERICA
When I was 21, I spent the summer driving around the United States with my boyfriend. It amazes me, looking back, that I let myself go on that eight-week trip.
I WENT I Saw, HATE
Ten years ago, I went to Tokyo on a lark. I was invited to the opening of the 38-story Aman Tokyo hotel, a beautiful example of urban minimalism and a destination unto itself.
Trips That Changed US All Forever
Me, MOM, And A Thousand SEABIRDS
Dear Biohackers, The Secrets to Longevity Are Simpler Than You Think
In a world of health trackers built to optimize, we propose choosing joy over deprivation and community over navel-gazing. The research agrees.
The Menopause Makeover: For When "Aging Gracefully" Gets Old
Because literally everything-from eyelids to neck skin to boobs to butt-falls off a cliff. Here, a dozen interventions women in this life stage are embracing.
Why I Cut Off All My Hair
The author of City of Girls and Big Magic talks about how she made the bold decision to break out the clippers in order to find her own version of beauty.
The Perfect Gift Book for Everyone on Your List
Sumptuous reads that look as lovely on your coffee table as they do on your bedside table.
