Fiction Commons^™

Deforesting, Maren Olson

English Senior Capstone

DeForesting is a collection of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry that explores the mental process of creating my stories and characters, and dives into why I am a writer at all. Using familiar tactics, and also subgenres I had never tried before, I probe into new voices, and different styles of writing. Although they are often uncertain and questioning, through that, my CNF and poetry take on a whimsical and open-ended feel. The title refers to the chimerical forest I must nurture and cut down and around in order to create these feelings and writings.

Waiting, Amy K. Haas

Creative Writing Club Poetry

A short story about a captain on a boat wondering in the middle of the night.

The Debt, Benjamin Hollo

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

Coca-Cola, Caleb Ludwick

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

The Flicker And Hum, Mathea Tanner

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

Towards The Light, Ty Rea

Creative Writing Club - Short Stories / Flash Stories

Story about someone doubting their path but continuing forward with hopes.

Your Space, Ty Rea

Creative Writing Club - Short Stories / Flash Stories

This is a story about three people who have become friends and get to know each other although there is an underlying eerie feeling.

Before Sleeping, Ty M. Rea, Amy K. Haas

Creative Writing Club - Fan Fiction

Short story of an alternate universe for Sleeping Beauty

The Language Of Theshrahk Thwath, Mary Arnolds, Nicholas Denmark, Sophia C. Farias, Alexandra Renteria

Posters - 2025

J.R.R. Tolkien, British linguist and creator of fictional Elvish languages, coined the term glossopoiea to describe the act of inventing languages. In EN5361A Inventing Languages, our group engaged in glossopoiea to develop a constructed language, Theshalshe, based on the fictional culture and environment of Theshrahk Thwath, the Crane Forest.

Theshrahk Thwath is a deciduous forest. The climate is temperate, with four seasons and mild winters. The people observe a monotheistic religion centered around the goddess Kemajthwa, incarnate in an ancient willow tree. They are an egalitarian society arranged with age hierarchy. They are a scientifically advanced and literate people, specializing …

A Fowl Fate, Jessy Taylor

The Messenger

No abstract provided.

Subject, Ryan Doherty

The Messenger

No abstract provided.

The Messenger - 2025

The Messenger

The objective of The Messenger is to encourage the appreciation and exploration of the creative arts on the University of Richmond campus. Since 1876, The Messenger has celebrated student work by publishing submissions in a literary and visual arts magazine. More information on the magazine, as well as past publications since 1987, can be found on messengerur.wordpress.com.

Acknowledgements

The Messenger staff would like to thank Dr. David Stevens for his continued support and guidance as our faculty sponsor. We are also grateful for the University of Richmond’s English and Visual and Media Arts Practice departments, who continually encourage students to …

The Human Cannonball, Reece Steidle

The Messenger

No abstract provided.

Controlling The Narrative: How The United Daughters Of The Confederacy Shaped Collective Memory Through Romance Novels, Karie L. Cobb

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

While existing scholarship on the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) reveals the immense influence the organization wielded in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, I assert that their legacy has had a broader and more insidious reach than previously believed. Through close analysis of two foundational romance novelists’ works published during the rapid escalation of the genre’s popularity, I contend that the rhetoric of the UDC shaped generations of Southerners as demonstrated through repetitions and parallels of the Lost Cause ideology found in UDC publications and sponsored materials within romance novels written by white Southern women who came of age …

Representation Of South Asians In U.S. American Children’S Picture Books, Eman A. Chaudhry

Senior Theses

One potential cause of racism against South Asian Americans in school could be the lack of authentic representation of South Asians in the media. A method to properly depict them is via children’s picture books, which can be used to explore different cultures within the classroom. I examined the current landscape of American children’s picture books that depict South Asians and found that the most authentic portrayals included characters embracing certain holidays or traditions. Additionally, I researched issues that affect the South Asian community, one of which includes the stigmatization of mental health. Drawing on my own experiences, I wrote …

Exophonic Literature: Why And How Authors Write In A Second Language, Jonathan M. Bost

Senior Honors Theses

Milan Kundera, Julio Cortázar, Joseph Conrad, Rigoberta Menchú, and James Joyce are just some of the multitudinous authors who wrote in languages that are not their mother tongue. This phenomenon is called “exophony,” and it is more common than many would expect. There are various reasons why authors write exophonic literature: James Joyce wrote to a friend that he was at the end of English (1957), and Menchú’s editor Elizabeth Burgos-Debray claims Menchú wrote in Spanish to use the language of her oppressors against them. This thesis will investigate case studies of various exophonic authors, relate advice such authors have …

The Blood Moon, Omar Shafi

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

What turns someone into a monster? Is it their nature—or what the world has taken from them? These are the questions at the heart of The Blood Moon, a short story that reimagines the origin of the werewolf myth through a tragic lens. Created for an upper-division honors course titled Monsters and Monstrosity, this project draws from literary research, folklore, and cultural analysis to examine how trauma, grief, and unresolved hatred can transform even the most innocent among us.

Set in a mythic past, The Blood Moon follows Warrei, a young, wolf-like creature known as a Wolven, who loses everything …

Volume 36 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

The Fall 2023 issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal (Volume 45, Issue 1) marks a significant moment in the journal’s history—it is the first full semester back on campus without interruption since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. This issue symbolizes a fresh beginning, a renewed appreciation for storytelling, and a commitment to fostering creativity in a post-pandemic world. Centered around the theme "The Power of the Painted Word," this edition embraces literature as both an art form and a force of expression. Featuring poetry, fiction, and essays from a dynamic selection of voices, this edition highlights resilience, artistic rebirth, and the …

Volume 36 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

The Spring 2023 issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal (Volume 36, Issue 1) embodies the theme "Glimmer in the Gloom", capturing a balance between darkness and hope through poetry, fiction, and essays. The editorial team, led by Alexis Calhoun, curated a collection that explores resilience, personal transformation, and the search for meaning in difficult times. With deeply introspective pieces and a strong emphasis on the power of storytelling, this issue invites readers to find light even in challenging moments. The diverse contributors offer perspectives on personal struggles, self-discovery, and the beauty of human connection, making this edition both timely …

Volume 35 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

The Fall 2022 issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal (Volume 43, Issue 1) is a powerful testament to the journal’s ongoing mission to uplift diverse voices and perspectives. Under the editorial leadership of Kai Beck, this edition prioritizes the inclusion of underrepresented communities, featuring works from LGBTQ+ writers, first-generation immigrants, incarcerated individuals, and veterans. Through poetry, fiction, and essays, contributors explore themes of identity, personal growth, and societal change. Each piece in this issue reflects a commitment to storytelling as a tool for understanding and transformation. The result is a deeply resonant collection that invites readers into a wide array …