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Through Windows, Sarah E. Jones

Theses

This short story collection focuses on the female perspective and expectations based on a host of influences: familial, cultural, and mythical. Even in extraordinary circumstances decisions are made about how to lives one's life. The collection explores the context in which women put their life experiences and personal relationships, and the space needed to consider these things. Readers familiar with Lorrie Moore's short fiction may find echoes of her solitary souls in these stories.

& Yet, Alexander S. Balogh

Theses

Unavailable.

Smack In The Day Of Distemper, Nancy J. Baumann

Theses

Not available.

Rockwood Revisited: More Exciting Tales From The "Hood", James A. Clay

Theses

The fol lowing essay and two short stories introduce a sequel to the book, The Rockwood Files: Tales from the Hood, which I wrote and published in 2002. The working title of the sequel is Rockwood Revisited. The original work is a collection of inspirational short stories that tell how several courageous inner city residents struggled to rise above obstacles they faced in search of a better life. Set in the fictional neighborhood known as Rockwood Square on Chicago's Westside, the stories chronicle life experiences of several of the neighborhood's past and present residents as seen through the eyes of …

No Serenade For Spies, Cedric T. Jackson

Theses

The focus and purpose of this thesis has resulted in the culmination of a full-length novel. Since fiction is most often categorized by a specific genre, the actions and motivations in terms of characters and plot development will more than likely place this particular project in the genre of either a spy novel or action thriller. The introductory essay further elaborates on my journey as a writer, and the creative process behind the writing of No Serenade for Spies.

From the outset the goal was to create a plot-driven story with strong as well as interesting and believable characters. …

Past Due: A Collection Of Poems, Byron Lee

Theses

"Past Due" is a co1lection of poems written almost entirely in free verse and almost exclusively based on personal experience. I find, at least at this point in my growth as a writer, that when I try to adhere to poetic structure, I feel confined. My style is sparse because I feel that this aesthetic best cuts to the emotion I'm trying to convey. I also love playing with line breaks, since I find that doing so can give several lines in a poem their own statement, like each poem makes its own statement even when bound in a co1Iection …

Designated Dater, Michelle Marek

Theses

The following stories are a collaboration of my most influential moments in life concerning relationships with men and my family. I take seriously what a lot of people have said to me based on their words, choices, and decisions. I am an avid listener and am constantly thinking about how I could incorporate something into a story. I spent a lot of time thinking about my past and talking with those close to me to determine what type of memoir would best exemplify the real me.

In the beginning of this collaboration, I write mainly about men and how I …

Rock Child, Deborah Garwood

Theses

Physician Lawrence "Doc" Bass lives in Ellington, Missouri. Forced to close his practice due to crippling arthritis, Doc has resigned himself to early retirement-until the day he meets Aubrey, a boy with an unusual birthmark on his back. Aubrey fits perfectly into the already quirky family of Hickcocks. He may be just a child, but strange things-good things-begin to happen whenever Aubrey is around. But not all of the Ellington folks feel the same way about him; some have an agenda for the boy. Doc, his good friend Sheriff Baines, and a host of other folks come in contact with …

Wise As Serpents, Harmless As Doves: A Collection Of Short Stories, Angela C. Fowle

Theses

This thesis is a collection of short stories inspired by many different women. While the pieces are truly works of fiction, the characters are an amalgam of individuals the author has encountered in her own life.

The collection focuses upon the experiences of several elderly women. each confronted with feelings of loneliness, envy, or longing. Although the stories address these sobering themes, they also present the reader with quirky. eccentric characters.

An important element in the collection is the examination of how the women interact with one another. One of the stories introduces a specific conflict between two characters, each …

Mouse Of The Schoolyard, Kirk Stephen Lawless

Theses

This thesis consists of two parts that show the diversity and flexibility of the student as a writer.

The original story was drafted, originally culled from a vast array of childhood memories, albeit alone it was too short to fulfill the requirements for a culminating project. The richness of the characters as well as the story itself called out for additional attention. An attempt to develop the story into a larger project proved an exercise in futility, as I felt it could not survive enough additions to increase the success of the project. An attempt to do so found the …

My Sister's Tears, Erika Dawn Whitfield

Theses

One of the most influential writers I studied in the Advanced Creative Writing cluster was Amiri Baraka. His style of writing distinguishes him from his peers. but the journey he took to get the caliber of writing he's at now excites me as a writer. From the Beat Period (1957-1962). The Transitional Period ( 1963-1965). The Black Nationalist Period (1965-1974). to the Third World Marxist Period (1974- ) (Beat Reader) Each period signified growth in his writing. but his way of thinking changed. He grew as a person. His transitions as a writer forced me to examine my own. My …

Short Story Collection: Final Project, Aisha S. Abram

Theses

This collection of six short stories all center their plots on the actions and responses of a strong female character. I took this approach because I feel there are too few female characters in the world of fiction.

In the story ''Angie" a young girl befriends a strange man Living under the family's house. The story focuses on her mother's fear and ultimately her acceptance of this odd friend.

The story of "Chelsea'' centers on the decision that Chelsea, a common waitress, must make to change her situation. In the story she meets a trucker who is like many of …

Indian Giver: A Screenplay In Three Acts, Brandon R. Mckinney

Theses

The texts and accompanying media bound herein represent the culmination of an intensive course of study focused on writing for the screen, or screenwriting, and are submitted as partial fulfillment of Lindenwood University's requirements for the degree of master of fine arts.

This culminating project is comprised of a feature-length motion picture screenplay, an accompanying introduction to the author/explanation of the screenplay, and a DVD copy of a televised discussion program (hosted by the author with a professional Hollywood screenwriter as guest) dealing with the craft of screenwriting.

The screenplay, titled Indian Giver, expands on the basic comedic premise of …

See You Soon: An E-Memoir, Leigh C. Kolb

Theses

This thesis is a creative nonfiction piece, which uses e-mails between two people to create its text. It is in an epistolary style, which historically is a style in which letters, diary entries or newspaper clippings are used to construct a story. Epistolary (which comes from the word "epistle," or letter) novels often are used to show a developing relationship between people, which is precisely what the proceeding piece, See You Soon, aims to do.

The following document is constructed out of thousands of e-mails between the author and her now-husband. The e-mails were weeded through and woven together to …

The Fine Art Of Monsters In Literature, Charles Garvin

Theses

This thesis will focus on the assimilation of my life experiences that ultimately result in the creation literary monsters. The following introduction defines my development as a writer through explorations of poetry and fiction. Traumatic life experiences as both a child and as an adult, coupled with an excellent education, has augmented my writing style towards literary horror.

A section of poetry comes after the introduction, which is a serious experiment by me to delve into the finer arts of pattern making. The fictional piece, Beyond Road's End, which follows the poetry, is primarily the object of my focus, which …

Catholics, Curses, And Cousins In A Cracker Box, Kathryn Wallace Iffrig

Theses

In a small sitting room of a mortuary in a rural Missouri town, the author considers the life of her recently departed cousin. Having shared a family home early in their childhood, and despite similar upbringing, their lives had ultimately diverged, with him choosing a path that many would consider self-destructive and bound to lead to an early death.

Contemplating the circumstances of her cousin's death, the author falls into ruminations on their childhood, family, and common experiences they shared during those early years. Considering the disparate paths their lives ultimately took, the author questions the influence of nature versus …

Growing Into Womanhood, Charlene Engleking

Theses

Unavailable.

Writing With Faith, Charles M. Mclean

Theses

Faith is the belief in something larger than oneself. It is not provable; it is not necessarily logical. It is a feeling, an intuition. Faith can be a belief in a god or a set of ideals, but the important part is the believing. If a person is without faith, that person is lost and remains so until such time a belief is born again.

TI1is culminating project strives to look at faith through essay and short fiction. A preface essay speaks to what I think faith is and why every human being requires it. The introduction has three purposes. …

Blessed Are, Jason Martinez

Theses

On the surface this particular novel is a fairly simple one to explain. On the surface this novel is more or less a romance novel. After all, Book One is essentially about a man named Thomas Woods who meets and fall in love with a woman named Rosemary. At first his love is returned in kind, but by the end he has lost his lover to another man, a man unworthy of her tenderness. And Book Two is about more or less the same thing except in this Book the woman's name is Violet, and there is a slight question …

Ladies In Waiting: A Collection Of Short Stories, Anne Fox

Theses

The stories in this collection feature female characters, mainly grown women. The exception is "Ruby Begonia'· in which the eponymous main character is a little girl with a gift for seeing and believing in things others cannot see.

In "Homefront;· Peggy decides to leave her daughter with her mother-in-law in order to save herself. She suffers from depression. While leaving a daughter behind is not viewed as good mothering, it is infinitely better to having that daughter suffer the effects of her mother's illness.

In "Lessons Learned " the young teacher learns to work things out for the benefits of …

The Great Becoming, Sara L. Blackwekk

Theses

Few questions stir as much curiosity and controversy as the question of how and why did man evolve. This culminating project strives to explore that issue creatively. Using a combination of religious overtones, myths and legends, and imagination, this project strives to be an original creation myth- a piece of fiction that answers how civilization, as we know it today, began. The story bas not been written to replace commonly accepted religious beliefs. Rather, it has been written to complement them, to question them, and to explore the very beginnings of religion itself.

The introduction to this project focuses on …

Nurses, My Family, & Elvis, Cristle Coleman-Griwach

Theses

This collection of sh01t stories will focus primarily on nurses from the turn of the last century to the present. Some of the stories are fiction and some are based on experiences of nurses I have known. There two stories unrelated to nursing, one is about bow my father helped launch Elvis Presley's career, the other is about my family.

The goal of the collection is to illustrate the different roles and personalities or nurses. The first story, "A Feather in Her Bonnet" is set in the early nineteen-hundreds. A seemingly innocent feathered bonnet on the head or a frumpy …

Everyday Seeds To Grow On: Writings For Children, Cindy A. Miller

Theses

The poems that comprise the following project were created for the pleasure and enjoyment of both children and adults. Th.is master's project for the MFA in writing is the result of a lifelong interest in children's literature. The majority of the work consists of my own stories in poetic form. The reader will notice many of the prominent elements found in poetry, such as visual imagery, rhythmic patterns, and rhyme. These characteristics are most obvious in "The Garden of Gigglings," writings created with picture book formats in mind. This section contains mostly funny stories whose humor can be emphasized through …

Eight Ways Of Saying Infinity: A Collection Of Friction Poetry And Friction Stories, Wayne D. Hetzler

Theses

This culminating project contains sixteen friction poems and sixteen friction stories. The format places the poems first, followed by the story. The story and the poetry are matched. The poems are not written to tell the story. They are written to strike an image, a friction image. The reader supplies lubrication as required.

The stories take the reader on a trip that lubricates the story to filet out the imagery. The author writes about incidents that have occurred during his life. Simple stories. about eating a potato chip, or rolling up your senile grandmother in a carpet. The writer solves …

Black-Eyed Peas And Cornbread, Janet Lewien

Theses

Black-Eyed Peas and Cornbread is a collection of autobiographical stories covering the period of my childhood in the mid-I950's and into adulthood. The stories describe my recollections of growing up in different regions of the country and the formative experiences that shaped me. Its sub-title could read "Passages" because the stories recall pivotal events that influenced the directions of my life.

The idea for this story began forming when I was enrolled in the Literary Non-fiction course for the Lindenwood College for Individualized Education. This cluster program contained a section on "Memoir and the Personal Essay" which was taught by …

From One Boy To One Girl, S. Eric Ketzer

Theses

Unavailable.

Water From The Moon, Christopher A. Duggan

Theses

During the scalding, dry summer of 1988, it would appear 23-year-old Dennis Dearbome is at a crossroads. More accurately, he is not on a road of any kind. The only child of affluent parents in suburban Minneapolis, Dennis finds his carefree existence at home unceremoniously ended when, after a string of lost jobs on his part, his parents decide to evict him from their house. At the same time, his father, an influential bank president, lands him a position as an illustrator for a small greeting card company. Dennjs can handle the technical demands of the job because of a …

Seasons Through My Window, Sandra L. Burke

Theses

Not available.

Coming Of Age: A Selection Of Short Stories, Mary Elizabeth Horner

Theses

Coming of age in fiction is a classic genre. Examples of life's hardest lessons learned can be found again and again in novels, movies and short stories. Most of the people in this series are a little older than adolescents, because a lot of the world's most difficult lessons come for many people in their 20s or beyond.

Normally, this type of experience is gained from falling in love, travel, or the death of someone close. Most of these realizations come for my protagonists by finding out his or her worth after the fact. Discovering worth comes from knowing what …

Tales From Around The Kitchen Table, Nancy Jean Sabath Freeman

Theses

The introduction to this project, entitled "The Value of Writing," discusses the author's experience of writing, both in her personal life and her career as a writing teacher. The main focus is on writing that is done on a regular basis, as with keeping a journal or diary, and how that activity can lead to emotional, psychological and spiritual growth. Research includes opinions from many prominent writers and teachers of writing about the value of writing in general. The remainder of the project includes samples of the author's short stories, personal narratives and essays, and poetry, which she believes have …