Faith of a Writer

<p>A tribute to the brilliant craftsmanship of one of our most distinguished writers providing valuable insight into her inspiration and her method</p><p> Joyce Carol Oates is widely regarded as one of America's greatest contemporary literary figures. Having written in a number of genres -- prose poetry personal and critical essays as well as plays -- she is an artist ideally suited to answer essential questions about what makes a story striking a novel come alive a writer an artist as well as a craftsman.</p><p> In <em>The Faith of a Writer </em>Oates discusses the subjects most important to the narrative craft touching on topics such as inspiration memory self-criticism and the unique power of the unconscious. On a more personal note she speaks of childhood inspirations offers advice to young writers and discusses the wildly varying states of mind of a writer at work. Oates also pays homage to those she calls her significant predecessors and discusses the importance of reading in the life of a writer. </p><p> 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 fourteen succinct chapters <em>The Faith of a Writer</em> provides valuable lessons on how language ideas and experience are assembled to create art.</p>