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For those of you who look through the archives of our blog, you will find that this time last year I blogged about the first annual Boston Book Festival (BBF). After the fantastic festival last year, I had high expectations–perhaps too high–for the BBF to meet. Then, over the summer, they announced the keynote speaker. Joyce Carol Oates. No joke. That’s right, the keynote speaker for the free BBF was Joyce Carol Oates. I have to say, the BBF has it’s work cut out for them next year.

But on to the amazing capabilities of Joyce Carol Oates. At the reading, she read the short story “Pumpkin-Head” from her new collection, Sourland. Perfect for the pre-Halloween weekend and the cold windy day! Oates captivated our attention with this tense story of a woman wondering if her dinner guest will kiss her and ending in Oatesian style of a violent scene.

Following the thirty minute reading, Oates answered questions from the interviewer, Faith Salie, and the audience. There was a wide range of questions, the best coming from the audience. It was refreshing to see a writer so well revered by the American public to be uneasy with her fame, incredibly humble, and able to submit to self mockery while giving advice. When the question concerning her prolific writings came around, she attributed much of it to the fact that her cat, Cherie, likes to sit on her lap, especially while writing. Whenever she attempts to get up, Cherie digs her claws into Oates’ legs and the writer finds herself stuck in the chair. She also mentioned that Cherie’s purring is relaxing and helps her write. “No,” she ended with, “that’s not the real reason. But it is.” With such anecdotes as this, Oates charmed the audience.

When asked about her goal in writing, Oates explained that she attempts to present characters with complexities that we have as human beings. Sometimes violence appears in her writing simply because the characters are confused, while other times it is because the character does not know how to be tender. She sets out to write an experience; the tone and ending are results of that experience.

In regards to aspiring writers, she advised that we read the entire work of a writer and watch how they develop and change their writing over time. In the final moments she advised interviewing a family member or friend and creating a story from that.

At the end of the hour with Joyce Carol Oates, I felt enlightened and grateful for the opportunity to hear one of America’s greatest writers speak. For all those in or around the Boston area, the Boston Book Festival is an annual must do. Who knows who will be the keynote next year, but they will be fighting expectations. However, whoever BBF is able to get, I’m sure it will be another successful and educational event.

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