Joyce Carol Oates

Joyce Carol Oates (born 1938) is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and essayist. She has published a large and varied body of work across genres, often exploring violence, class, and the complexities of American life. Oates gained major recognition with the novel *them* (1969), which won the National Book Award. Her later novels include *We Were the Mulvaneys* (1996) and *Blonde* (2000), a reimagining of Marilyn Monroe’s life that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She has also written extensively in short fiction and criticism, and has taught creative writing.