Joyce Carol Oates, the renown American writer, resisted having a film made about her life and work for years. She finally agreed to Stig Bjorkman’s invitation to grant extensive interviews and walks through places that are important to her. The director added archival clips and had excerpts from her books read by Laura Dern.
Joyce Carol Oates has written over 100 books. Her favorite writer is Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland. She admits to liking to work and not caring for vacations. She writes every morning, often in longhand, for several hours.
She was born and raised in rural America and was the first member of her family to graduate from high school. She became a dedicated educator, teaching for 36 years at Princeton and taught writing classes at other institutions..
“The use of language is all we have left to pit against death and silence”
- Joyce Carol Oates.
In the film she talks about her upbringing, the influence of her parents, and her marriages. She is not shy about her politics and her need to raise questions about American society and culture. She covered such stories as the Detroit riots, the Chappaquiddick incident, and the tragedy of Marilyn Monroe. Whether writing novels, short stories, or essays, Oates captures the human mix of good and evil, guilt and innocence, violence and suffering. Her subjects are often dark and difficult, which seems a little odd once you meet her and notice her soft spoken and humble personality in this documentary.