Seeing “Joyce Carol Oates in person” at Elmhurst College was very interesting. Sitting inside the chapel was quite the experience. The audience seemed very focused and understanding. Whether it was agreeing with what she had to say or giggling at little jokes she shot out towards them. Oates also made it easy for those who were not familiar with her writing to understand what she was speaking of. Those who were not familiar with her writing learned that she was quite an odd author. By “odd” I mean her style of writing is very different. Oates writes about many different subjects in her short stories, like she explained. She also seems like she loves what she rights and she respects all the fans that follow her writing.
After listening to Joyce Carol Oates speak, I was quite curious toward some of her short stories and poems. Especially after listening to her and learning about the topics she discussed during her visit to Elmhurst College. I loved being able to go and see a book reading of a well respected author and not have to pay any money to be there. I wish that more authors could do these types of things.
Being able to see Joyce Carol Oates was good. I learned a lot of things about her and her writing. I look forward to reading more of her books and short stories. Hopefully she keeps on with her wide variety of topics and has more public readings so that she can expand her fan base and whatnot. Also, the book signing at the end was a perfect “cherry on top” to end the discussion.