In this final episode of the first season of Lives Well Lived, Peter & Kasia interview acclaimed author Joyce Carol Oates about her prolific career and perspectives on writing and life. Joyce Carol Oates was born during the Depression in Lockport, New York. Oates published her first book in 1963 as a teen, and has since published 58 novels, many of them portraying the darkness of American society. Her writing has earned her virtually every major American literary prize, and she has been a finalist for the Pulitzer for Fiction five times.  Joyce, a longtime Princeton professor and writer, discusses the complexity of self-identity, and the nature of a well-lived life. She presents a unique view and challenges the core themes of this podcast, noting her focus on literary output over emotional introspection. Joyce expresses her belief in prioritising the work over personal fame and outlines her perspective on philosophical questions about the self. In the second half of this episode, Peter & Kasia reflect on the recurrent themes that have arisen from our guests over this first season. We thank for you listening, and hope you join us for Season Two when we are back later in the year. If you have guest suggestions pls leave us a review and who you would like to see on an upcoming episode of Lives Well Lived. Keep up to date with Peter! Website: www.petersinger.info Substack: https://boldreasoningwithpetersinger.substack.com/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@peter_singer Keep up to date with Kasia! https://www.facebook.com/katarzyna.delazariradek  Executive Producer: Rachel Barrett Audio Producer: Stuart Buckland Thanks to our volunteer researchers Hendrik Dahlmeier and Mihika Chechi If you are enjoying this podcast, consider supporting us over at PATREON Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.