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Joyce Carol Oates spends time with OSU students while on campus May 9.
On May 10, Joyce Carol Oates responds to questions from OSU Distinguished Professor Tracy Daugherty at the Portland Art Museum.
Joyce Carol Oates on stage at the Portland Art Museum after receiving the inaugural Stone Award for Lifetime Literary Achievement on May 10.
Joyce Carol Oates autographs books during her visit to the OSU campus on May 9.
Award creator Patrick Stone ’74 congratulates inaugural recipient Joyce Carol Oates during the Porland ceremony.
Stone Literary Award - Joyce Carol Oates
Inaugural recipient of the Stone Award for Lifetime Literary Achievement, Joyce Carol Oates, visited with more than 700 students and community friends during events in Corvallis and Portland on May 9 and 10.
The award, created by a generous gift from Vicki and Patrick Stone '74, honors a major American author who has created a body of critically acclaimed work and who has – in the tradition of creative writing at OSU – been a dedicated mentor to young writers. The honorarium for the award is $20,000, making the new Stone Award one of the most substantial awards for lifetime literary achievement offered by any university in the country.
Ms. Oates spent Wednesday afternoon, May 9, meeting with undergraduate and graduate students before giving a public reading to more than 700 people at the CH2M HILL Alumni Center. The follow evening, she received the award at an event at the Portland Art Museum, which featured an on-stage interview with OSU Distinguished Professor of English and Creative Writing Tracy Daugherty.
The award sparked considerable interest in her work, and OSU's Creative Writing program launched a wide-ranging "Everybody Reads" program focused on her books. During April and May graduate students led book discussion groups and writing workshops in community centers and libraries, as well as at Linn Benton Community College and local high schools.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was the radio interview she gave to none other than the Voice of the Beavers, Mike Parker, on his "Joe Beaver Show." Ms. Oates has written extensively about boxing, and she made fascinating observations about its role in our culture.
As College of Liberal Arts Dean Larry Rodgers stated, we have begun a tradition that is sure to become highly anticipated and appreciated not only throughout our university but throughout the region. The Stone Literary Award is a tremendous example of the impact of philanthropy at OSU.
