Joyce Carol Oates, born on June 16, 1938, is a prolific American writer, known for her novels, short stories, plays, poetry, and essays. She has published over 50 novels and numerous volumes of short stories. Her work often explores themes of rural America, poverty, sexual abuse, class struggles, and psychological darkness, as well as the female experience. She was awarded the National Book Award for her novel "them" (1969) and has been a Pulitzer Prize finalist multiple times. She has taught at the University of Windsor and Princeton University.