Joyce Carol Oates to speak in Fayetteville on April 21

Joyce Carol Oates, the author of more than 40 novels and dozens of short-story collections, will give a free reading of her work in Fayetteville in April, the University of Arkansas announced Thursday.

Oates, who published her first book in 1963, is known for novels including Them, which won the National Book Award in 1970; Blonde, an imagining of Marilyn Monroe's inner life; and We Were the Mulvaneys. Her next novel, Carthage, is due to be published in January.

She also serves as the Roger S. Berlind Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at Princeton University in New Jersey, where she has taught since 1978.

“Ms. Oates is among the most admired and accomplished writers of our time,” Todd Shields, interim dean of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, said in a statement. “We are honored to host such a distinguished artist and to share her knowledge and work with our community.”

The event, part of the UA Programs in Creative Writing and Translation Distinguished Readers Series, will be held 7 p.m. April 21 at the Fayetteville Town Center and will be free to the public.

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