Oates addresses her prolificacy and the charges that her writing is too violent. She mentions her influences from Balzac to Chekov and numerous others. She acknowledges the need for the Stephen Kings of the world who through their bestsellers keep the publishers churning out the lesser-knowns, the small little gems, that might otherwise be overlooked.
Interesting pieces include mentions of what were then forthcoming works, works that never ended up being published. What ever became of the novels "The Crosswicks Horror" and "The Green Island"? Oates mentions writing a screenplay for Martin Scorcese who wants to bring "You Must Remember This" to the cinema. A reader today is left wondering what ever happened to this adaptation.
All in all, an interesting glimpse of writer in her own words and a must-have for all Oates admirers.
Throughout this anthology, Oates discusses how her writing paints a modern panorama of American life. Oates described her vast canvas to an interviewer: ?I could not take the time to write about a group of people who did not represent, in their various struggles, fantasies, unusual experiences, hopes, etc., our society in miniature.? She also comments upon her responsibility as an artist ?to bear witness? to certain aspects of society. In this light, she responds to criticisms that violence seems to dominate her work by noting that ?one simply cannot know strengths unless suffering, misfortune, and violence are explored quite frankly by t