The Faith of a Writer

Joyce Carol Oates is one of America's greatest contemporary literary figures. Having written nearly 100 books in every conceivable genre, she is a writer clearly able to answer the profound questions about what makes a story good, a novel successful, a writer an artist.

In The Faith of a Writer, Oates discusses the subjects most important to the narrative craft, and which every writer should know, touching on topics such as inspiration, memory, self-criticism, and "the unique power of the unconscious." On a more personal note, the book answers some of the questions Oates has been frequently asked over the course of her career, such as "Why is your writing so violent" and "How do you manage to write so much"

Oates claims, "Inspiration and energy and even genius are rarely enough to make 'art': for prose fiction is also a craft, and craft must be learned, whether by accident or design." In its fourteen chapters, The Faith of a Writer provides valuable lessons on how language and ideas are assembled to create art.