LETTER and TYPESCRIPT: TLS to Amanda Vaill; with 3pp. Corrected typescript.
Oates Edits Her Biographical Sketch
Oates, Joyce Carol. Typed letter signed, “Joyce Carol Oates” to Amanda Vaill, May 10, 1980; one leaf of The Ontario Review letterhead; signed and emended by Oates in black ink; paperclip impression; creased at folds for mailing.
Together with:
(Vaill, Amanda.) “Joyce Carol Oates.” Typescript biographical sketch, annotated. Ca. 1980.
One leaf; photocopy emended typescript; additional line edits and marginalia throughout in black marker and blue pencil; small closed tear to right edge; paperclip impression; creased at folds for mailing.
Together with:
“Joyce Carol Oates.” Published biographical sketch, annotated. Ca. 1980.
Two leaves photocopied annotated printed matter; additional line edits and marginalia in blue pencil; small closed tear to right edge; creased where folded; paperclip impression.
Viking Penguin Executive Editor Amanda Vaill sends Oates a typescript draft biographical sketch, meant to preface her interview in Writers at Work V, part of an eight-book series of interviews published by Penguin and edited by George Plimpton and Malcolm Cowley. Oates annotated this with excision in black marker, a marginal question mark, and the note, “wrong,” attempted a few revisions in blue pencil, and then apparently gave up working on this copy and simply spelled out her qualms in a letter; most of the letter merits quoting:
The biographical sketch might be slightly improved. It sounds odd that I am the ‘daughter of a toll and die designer’ – who is my mother? – my father? A sexist lapse, I believe. Why not eliminate it entirely? – or say that I am the daughter of Carline and Frederick Oates. …What is a class Victorian? (This was all very quickly done, isn’t it?)
There are other factual errors of a minor sort. I am no longer at the University of
Windsor; and no need to mention the University of Detroit which I left 13 years ago.
Why not say that I am currently teaching at Princeton University? – and have taught at the University of Windsor, the University of Michigan, and New York University. Also, I was recently inducted into the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters; and my most recent novel is Bellefleur (Dutton).
I really think you should make these changes since the biographical sketch in its present state is somewhat sloppy.
In her annotations to the photocopy present, she addresses these qualms and more, such as a description of her as “fragile-looking and reticent.” She makes further adjustments to a two-page photocopy of a printed biographical sketch.
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