2025 Persimmon Creek - Full Journal,
2025
University of South Carolina
2025 Persimmon Creek - Full Journal, Beth Keefauver, Wayne C. Robbins
Persimmon Creek
Persimmon Creek runs through the Susan B. Jacobs Arboretum, an oasis of nature in the center of our dynamic and thriving campus community at the University of South Carolina Upstate. My colleague Wayne Robbins and I were recently tasked with bringing back the student-edited literary journal formerly known as Writer’s Inc. Dr. Marilyn Knight stood at the helm of Writer’s Inc. for nearly twenty years, and when she retired, the journal left with her. We thought it would be an opportune time to pay homage to the legacy of Writer’s Inc. by renaming and reimagining our home department’s literary journal. …
When The Siren Sounds,
2025
University of South Carolina - Upstate
When The Siren Sounds, Madelynn H. Morgan
Persimmon Creek
Growing up being the daughter of a fire fighter was not easy. I had a very absent father growing up, and this was due to his work in the fire service. Through this reflective essay, I discuss what growing up as a first-response family was like, and how it has shaped me into the adult I am becoming.
The Madonna - Whore Complex,
2025
University of South Carolina - Upstate
The Madonna - Whore Complex, Rhiya S. Ashman
Persimmon Creek
In this work, I wanted to explore the literature/media trope of the Madonna/Whore complex, specifically when it comes to Black women in media. The Madonna Whore complexes illustrate how women are often written into one of two extremes - they are either extremely pure, innocent, and childlike (The Madonna), or they are sexual, rebellious, and seductive (The Whore). The piece is full of symbolism, including the materials used to make it. I wanted to illustrate these extreme yet two dimensional ways these women were portrayed by creating them in flat paper, with no faces, to show how they are still …
Wulver In Appalachia,
2025
University of South Carolina - Upstate
Wulver In Appalachia, Wylan Blair
Persimmon Creek
A poem about a mysterious figure who comes to the aid of a mountain community.
Glimpses Of Myself In The Underground,
2025
University of South Carolina - Upstate
Glimpses Of Myself In The Underground, Madelynn H. Morgan
Persimmon Creek
Through poetry, a older teenager reflects on a place that has made her who she is. She sees ghosts of her past self in every wall of this place, and it makes her feel oddly sentimental. She realizes how far she has come and how much has changed, and begins to understand how ever fleeting any given moment in time is.
Dodo,
2025
University of South Carolina - Upstate
Dodo, Lyxia C. Vue
Persimmon Creek
A short poem about the extinct animal known as the Dodo Bird.
The Stereo Skips,
2025
University of South Carolina - Upstate
The Stereo Skips, Maryssa H. Mckinney
Persimmon Creek
"The Stereo Skips" is a reflective poem that captures the chaotic and emotional experiences of a child navigating family struggles and religious expectations on a typical Sunday morning growing up in their household. Through the recurring image of a skipping stereo, the poem emphasizes the dissonance between external appearances and internal turmoil, as the child reflects on their relationship with God, the absence of their father, and the contradictions in their family life. The stereo's skips serve as a metaphor for the interruptions and unresolved emotions in the speaker's world.
Tsenacommacah,
2025
University of South Carolina - Upstate
Tsenacommacah, Wylan Blair
Persimmon Creek
This poem is about the area that was once called Tsenacommacah, the Powhatan people, and the horrors of the centuries that followed 1607.
Ode To A Carolina Cotton Mill,
2025
USC Upstate
Ode To A Carolina Cotton Mill, Joshua S. Lanier
Persimmon Creek
Ode to a Carolina Cotton Mill is a poem about the lives of generations of textile workers who left the farm in search of a better life for their families. THe poem is somewhat autobiographical, as my family had worked in the cotton mill for many generations.
Whiplash,
2025
University of South Carolina - Spartanburg
Whiplash, Jillian M. Canady
Persimmon Creek
Whiplash is an abstract poem that emphasizes emotion and imagery over narrative clarity. Through the juxtaposition of a moth and a neon sign, it delves into themes of struggle and transience, blending surreal elements—sickly slouching figures, flickering candles, and woven snakes—to create a landscape of sorrow and light. With fragmented language and rhythmic shifts, the poem invites deep engagement and personal interpretation, culminating in a sensation of rapid motion and transformation, challenging readers to find meaning within its evocative chaos.
The Man In The Frame,
2025
University of South Carolina - Upstate
The Man In The Frame, Joshua Holt
Persimmon Creek
The Man in the Frame - Poetry by Joshua Holt
Clicky Pen,
2025
University of South Carolina - Upstate
Clicky Pen, Allison E. Potter
Persimmon Creek
This is a poem about a clicky pen, an inanimate object that I gave life to. It is an original work that I submitted as homework for my Poetry Class.
Kabul, A Memory Bittersweet,
2025
University of South Carolina - Upstate
Girls Are Coming Out Of The Woods (Title Taken From Tishani Doshi),
2025
University of South Carolina - Spartanburg
Girls Are Coming Out Of The Woods (Title Taken From Tishani Doshi), Jillian Canady
Persimmon Creek
This evocative haiku, inspired by Tishani Doshi’s poem, Girls Are Coming Out of the Woods, beautifully captures the essence of resilience and emergence. It portrays women as powerful forces, symbolized by roaring fires and vibrant sunsets, evoking warmth and intensity. The detail of "pink painted toes" adds a playful yet bold touch, blending femininity with strength. This concise piece invites readers to reflect on the dynamic spirit of women stepping into their own, embodying both elegance and fierce determination.
Theodore B. Taverner,
2025
University of South Carolina - Upstate
Theodore B. Taverner, Joshua Holt
Persimmon Creek
A war veteran with PTSD wakes on abandoned train tracks, a gun in hand, blood on his clothes, and a body by his feet. Disoriented and haunted by fragmented memories, he struggles to piece together the truth as sirens close in.
Warmth,
2025
University of South Carolina - Upstate
Warmth, Brandi E. Shuler
Persimmon Creek
The short story Warmth is about an unnamed character who encounters a violent fire elemental. It is an experimental piece about what it feels like to experience a traumatic burn and what the character went through afterward.
Father's Circle,
2025
USC Upstate
Father's Circle, Samuel Bass
Persimmon Creek
An abusive Father and musically-inclined son go on a roadtrip through time and discover their universal connection.
The Work Of Persimmons,
2025
University of South Carolina - Upstate
The Work Of Persimmons, Aaliyah D. Wilkes
Persimmon Creek
I wanted to create a persimmon cover that was very light and abstract. I used illustrator to create a wallpaper of persimmons.
Final Master's Portfolio,
2025
Bowling Green State University
Final Master's Portfolio, Sophia Michalski
Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects
This portfolio explores research in technical writing revolving around digital products and literary practices such as Post-Structuralism as literary theory and the methodology Docile Bodies within literary texts. While half the portfolio includes analytical essays which examine how these themes intersect and arise in literary landscape, the other half aims to investigate how the current digital marketplace prioritizes cloud-based products and what limitations are placed through extensive research.
Storytelling Or Telling Stories: An Analysis Of Disnarration In Music Videos,
2025
Mississippi State University
Storytelling Or Telling Stories: An Analysis Of Disnarration In Music Videos, Victoria Garrett
Honors Theses
Music videos have grown in popularity in recent years and have begun to augment the stories being told by the lyrics of their songs. This is done by using narrative techniques, such as disnarration, to develop complex narratives that can conflict with the lyrical content. Through analysis of the videos "Willow" (2020 dir. Taylor Swift) by Taylor Swift, "The One That Got Away" (2012 dir. Floria Sigismoni) by Katy Perry, and "One Beer" (2020 dir. Justin Clough) by HARDY, the distinction between the plots of the videos and the lyrics can be brought into focus. This distinction in the stories …
