Oates wins French literature prize

Joyce Carol Oates, the Roger Berlind '52 Professor in the Humanities, has won one of France's top foreign literature prizes.

She has been awarded the Prix Femina for her latest novel "The Falls." Set against the backdrop of Niagara Falls, the novel explores the state of the American family and society in the mid-20th century.

A novelist, playwright, poet, critic, essayist and author of more than 100 books, Oates has taught at Princeton since 1978. She previously has received the National Book Award, the PEN/Malamud Award honoring excellence in the art of the short story and the O. Henry Prize for continued achievement in the short story, among other honors.