Comments on: Joyce Carol Oates: Black Water

By: Dorine

Dorine — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:59:11 +0000

Hi you all,
Open yourselves; Joyce Carol Oates (not young, not from a sophisticated upbringing), gives us the chance to open up ourselves, what she writes about, the characters, she’s honest, open, and a MAESTRA. I’ve read many of her books, short stories. Overwhelming. Where did she get all the background emotional information and where did she find the words?
I don’t say she’s the best. But neither do I think that “cheap” critisism is an asset.
She’s just talented, genius, courageous, goes her own way. If you don’t like her, don’t read her.
She’s not into mental masturbation as so many young (and not young) writers are.
Love her, read her, learn from her books to better understand society. Otherwise don’t read her.
Really, I don’t understand this criticism. If I don’t like certain people I avoid them,if I don’t like certain life-styles I don’t imitate them. Do you want to go to Timbuctù, go there, but don’t expect me to have the same wish, I may be interested only in crossing the Alps on my bike, without making an issue of it.
Toodeloo

By: Stewart

Stewart — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:16:14 +0000

What’s the best issue? I have no idea. It was ages ago that I read it and, well, it’s your thesis, not mine.

By: juwita elfriani

juwita elfriani — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:27:42 +0000

thanks for your comment…
I’m going to take Joice Carol Oates’ Black Water to be my thesis.. what’s the best issue that I should take from it???

By: Stewart

Stewart — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:50:44 +0000

I would suppose that, other than the literal black water the car ends up in, the murkiness applies to the facts of the Chappaquiddick incident.

By: juwita elfriani

juwita elfriani — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:30:05 +0000

I want to know the meaning of “black water” in JCO’s Black Water as refers to the real life… please help me…

By: Stewart

Stewart — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 10:30:01 +0000

Thanks, James. I’ve amended the post.

By: James Valentine

James Valentine — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 06:05:26 +0000

Joyce Carol Oates has never won a Pulitzer Prize. The 2000 winner for fiction was Jhumpa Lahiri for INTERPRETER OF MALADIES. BLONDE was a finalist (not winner) for the fiction award in 2001; and BLACK WATER was a finalist nominee (not winner) in 1993.

The only major “prestigious” award won by Joyce Carol Oates is the 1970 National Book Foundation Award for THEM.

By: Stewart

Stewart — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:37:20 +0000

If I remember correctly, “Blackwater” suffered from this obsessiveness also.

In that case, Tony, I think I may like the overwrought stuff. Even though, after Black Water, I’m in no hurry to read more of Oates.

By: Tony S.

Tony S. — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:22:34 +0000

I’ve read several Joyce Carol Oates novels over the years and many of her stories. I usually enjoy her stories. The following are three of her novels which I enjoyed very much : “I’ll Take You There”, “Marya - A Life”, and “You Must Remember This”. Ocasionally Joyce Carol Oates gets so overwrought on some morality high horse that she keeps kicking, and then her writing becomes so obsessed, it becomes unbearable. One novel which I hated of hers was “We were the Mulvaneys”. I don’t remember all the details, but the teenage girl in the novel is besmirched, and it destroys the family. The writing becomes so obsessive and overwrought, I don’t see how anyone could get any enjoyment out of reading this novel. If I remember correctly, “Blackwater” suffered from this obsessiveness also. I don’t think Joyce Carol Oates would be too happy about a Senator getting involved with a young woman.

By: Beth

Beth — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 03:07:09 +0000

I remember when Chappaquiddick happened and would love to read her treatment of this. She’s such a powerful, hard hitting writer. Because it is Bitter and Because it is My Heart is a favorite of mine and her story The Dead is incredibly strong as well. As always, Stewart leads you right to the store for a must read!