For more than 3 decades, Joyce Carol Oates has been hailed as one of the most significant and enduring writers of the 20th century. Yet she has also remained an enigmatic figure who has avoided the media spotlight, choosing instead to stay focused on her writing. In Invisible Writer, the first, full-length, authorised biography of this complex and supremely gifted writer, Greg Johnson examines the mysteries and myths that have attended Oates's remarkable career. His probing portrait reveals a creative and troubled woman whose carefully guarded private world proves as fascinating as her well-publicised literary career.