The Works of Joyce Carol Oates Quiz

Answer: Wonderland

"I'll Take You There" deals with a young white undergraduate and her relationship with an older black graduate student. In "Because It Is Bitter and Because It Is My Heart," a bond is formed between Iris Courtney, a white girl, and Jinx Fairchild, the black boy who kills a man to protect her.

In "I Lock the Door Upon Myself," a married white mother pursues a relationship with a black itinerant worker, and the consequences are dire.

Answer: You Must Remember This

"You Must Remember This" delves into an incestuous relationship between teenaged Enid Stevick and her father's half-brother. Later, writing under a pseudonym in "Take Me, Take Me With You," Oates again tackles this topic as the quiet main character hooks up with her newfound half-brother.

Answer: Lauren Kelly and Rosamond Smith

As of April 2005, Joyce Carol Oates had published eight novels under the pseudonym Rosamond Smith and one novel under the pseudonym Lauren Kelly.

Answer: Snake Eyes

All of these novels were written under Oates' pseudonym Rosamond Smith.

Answer: Unholy Loves

"Unholy Loves" is the story of professor Brigit Stott and her struggles with the politics of academia.

Answer: Foxfire

The 1996 film "Foxfire" was based on Oates' novel "Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang." Treat Williams seduces teenaged Laura Dern in "Smooth Talk," based on Oates story, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" The film won the Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 1986. Ann-Margret and Kirstie Alley both appeared in "Blonde," which was based on Oates' novel about Norma Jeane Baker (Marilyn Monroe) and debuted on CBS in 2001. "We Were the Mulvaneys" was also adapted for the small screen in 2002 and starred Blythe Danner and Beau Bridges.

Answer: Black Water

Oates again goes where few have gone before by choosing a dead girl as her narrator in "Black Water."

Answer: Solstice

After writing three "gothic" novels, set primarily in the 19th Century ("Bellefleur," 1980; "A Bloodsmoor Romance," 1982; and "Mysteries of Winterthurn," 1984), Oates returned to modern times with "Solstice," a short novel which delves into the friendship of two women.

After a long series of 20th Century novels, Oates again returned to the previous era with her story of a turn-of-the-century con artist family in "My Heart Laid Bare."

Answer: Sexy

Oates' first novel written for young adults was "Big Mouth & Ugly Girl" in 2002. Her second, "Freaky Green Eyes," was written in 2003. Her third novel written for this age group was "Sexy," which came out in February of 2005.

Answer: Broke Heart Blues

In "Broke Heart Blues," loner John Reddy Heart is idolized by his peers, especially the girls in the affluent town where he lives through his teen years. It isn't until the novel is more than half finished and we see things from his point of view that we learn his life was far from glamorous and that none of his peers really knew him at all.