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Tone Clusters: the Joyce Carol Oates discussion group archive

Friday, August 17, 2007

Re: JCO: Doris Lessing?

Hi, Nicole. While on sabbatical with her husband in England in 1971-2,  JCO interviewed DL.  She also made friends with British writer Margaret Drabble. Have you seen JCO's interview with DL? (check website for ref)  JCO approaches the meeting with DL with great reverence for this face-to-face meeting with one of her favorite authors. JCO was also working on the novel Do With Me What You Will while in London. 
Cyrano
 
In a message dated 8/17/2007 4:56:30 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, ndprovencher@lake.ollusa.edu writes:

Doris Lessing?

In research last year I discovered Doris Lessing.  This summer I finally had time to read some of her works and I was very taken with her style.  The books I read were The Fifth Child and  Ben, In the World (sequel to The Fifth Child).  I was wondering if anyone else has read or studied her?  I know she is a huge influence on JCO and I am very interested in her. There are many similarities in the styles of Lessing and JCO, but I thought that it was interesting that Lessing could evoke the same sense of conflict and search for the self that JCO portrays in her stories and novels not through violence or sexual experiences but rather through the idea of what is expected of woman.  Does anyone have any thoughts on Lessing or Oates and how they intersect?  I would be very anxious to hear them!

 




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