Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is a frequently anthologized short story written by Joyce Carol Oates. It was inspired by three Tucson, Arizona murders committed by Charles Schmid, which were profiled in Life magazine in an article written by Don Moser on March 4, 1966. Oates said that she dedicated the story to Bob Dylan because she had been inspired to write it after listening to his song “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.”
The story was loosely adapted into the 1985 film Smooth Talk, starring Laura Dern and Treat Williams.