Modern Literature Commons^™

Double, Double, Toils And Troubles: Analyzing The “Magical” Relationships Between University Leaders’ Personality Traits And Their Self-Efficacy In Leadership Situations, Fay Ludvine Boudreaux

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This present study investigated the relationship between higher education leaders’ personality traits and their self-efficacy in leadership situations. A total of 151 leaders employed across the nine institutions within the University of Louisiana System completed a survey that prompted them to identify their personal values, traits, and skill sets, as derived from the online Pottermore quiz, the official Harry Potter Hogwarts House sorting instrument. This niche personality metric was chosen to cater to higher education’s evolving landscape, as it welcomes an influx of Millennials into leadership positions. Participants’ responses were eventually recoded to “sort” them into their respective Houses: Gryffindor, …

Oaxaca Stories Along The Way, James E. Gaasch

Trade & Scholarly Monographs

View the world of a local photographer... a market vendor... a painter... an academic... all through the eyes of an author who has fallen in love. This is not the simple infatuation of fairy tales, but the real love that comes from appreciating the whole. It comes from the beauty of a city and the hearts of its populace...

Cultural Of Authenticity And Commodification: Analyzing The Aesthetic Waves And Collective Culture In The 2010s And 2020s, Stefanny Leung Yu

Student Theses

The “authentic self” is curated, aestheticized, and most notably, commodified. Digital algorithms, likes, views, and engagement are more than just digital metrics, they are the management of performance. For millions of other users — including the author herself — social media is the locus of personal expression. Most notably, sites like Tumblr, where users in the 2010s posted hazy images or overly filtered graphics along with melancholic song lyrics that match the vibe of the moment, expression was earnest and idealized. Today, social media in the 2020s, new creators like Hannah Neelaman, better known as Ballerina Farm, dress in pastoral …

Heartbeat Of The Heartland: Sonic Engagement With Hip-Hop In The American Midwest, Lauren R. Millhorn

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This project analyzes Hip-Hop artists from the American Midwest through the context of the Midwest’s construction as a nostalgic, peaceful area where conflict seems nonexistent. This study applies Adam Ochonicky’s concept of nostalgic spatiality, or “instances in which nostalgia is projected onto a physical environment, thereby altering the perception, understanding, and/or experience of that space and its accompanying cultural sphere” (Ochonicky 29) to close readings on Midwest Hip-Hop texts. In the case of the Midwest, projected nostalgia is rooted in whiteness and propels the narrative that the Midwest is predominantly occupied by white people who maintain its peace and serenity …

“The Atmosphere That Supports Life On Earth”: An Ecocritical Approach To Tolkien’S Arda, Elizabeth Anne Turello

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Ecocriticism speaks to the relationship between the environment and literature, a progressively vital topic of discussion. What is often overlooked, however, is the necessity of the theory’s applicability to stories of speculative fiction; that is, ones existing outside the realm of the real world or, as is the case with the father of modern-day fantasy J.R.R. Tolkien, a mythology set in the ancient days of our world (“Arda”). At first, it may seem contradictory to learn about our surroundings through fictionalized ones seemingly irrelevant to Earth’s own; this apparent contradiction is not valid, though, as the relationship between humans and …

“Knowing With” The Unknowable Woman: The Body As Protest In Han Kang’S The Vegetarian, Abigail Worthington

The Compass

During an interview from 2020, South Korean writer Han Kang pointed to the “impossible riddle” of humanity as the reason she finds it so difficult to look at human beings without becoming overwhelmed.1 She acknowledged that while humans have committed horrific atrocities against one another, we also possess a certain dignity which suggests that we have a desire for goodness within us. As a countermeasure to the distress and hopelessness that we may feel as a result of this dichotomy, Han proposes that “[when] we are confronted by the horror of humanity, we have to question ourselves that [sic] what …

Book Culture And Narrative In Martin’S A Song Of Fire And Ice, Maria Damkjær

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

What do books represent in G.R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire? This article examines their role as objects and their limitations within a narrative obsessed with loss of knowledge. Books, which are handled, lost, found, read, or destroyed, are both a shorthand for a fantasy world’s material culture, but also a metafictional nod to the reality of the reader. Contemporary fantasy authors, I posit, are both fascinated by texts, and also troubled by their limited chance of survival over the very long periods that the genre tends to sketch. Deep time is hostile to book knowledge, and …

Divinity And The Void In Chinese And Thai Translations Of The Ainulindalë, Eric Reinders

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This article treats Chinese and Thai translations of the opening lines of the Ainulinalë, not to evaluate their fidelity to the original, but to explore the surplus meanings inherent in those languages. From a close reading of the first line emerge several new variations, including a new reading of the name Eru in Chinese, and a changed linguistic register of the Thai version. In each case there is some attempt to resolve the paradox of Eru as primal deity and Tolkien’s use of lower-case “he”—which one would expect to be “He.” Lacking capital letters, the Chinese and Thai translators use …

Del Policial Clásico Al Post-Neopolicial: La Estética Del Crimen En La Narrativa Mexicana, 1940–2020, Maria Carpio-Manickam

Purdue Studies in Romance Literatures

Del policial clásico al post-neopolicial: La estética del crimen en la narrativa mexicana, 1940–2020 is a comprehensive study of Mexican crime fiction from cultural, gender, social, political, and literary perspectives. This book covers the different phases Mexican crime fiction has evolved through in the past eighty years: classical detective fiction (1940–1960s), género negro (1970s), neopolicial (1980–2000), narconarrative (1990s to the present), and post-neopolicial (2000 to the present). The first half of the book offers an overview of the development of crime fiction in the United States, how it was adopted by Mexican writers in the 1940s, and the changes it …

Pathos, Spring 2025, Portland State University. Student Publications Board

Pathos

Editor: Adriana Stanzione

Shakespeare’S Early Histories And The Construction Of Government, Paul Olson

Department of English: Faculty Publications

Shakespeare’s first tetralogy has been treated as an account of the reinvention of government, especially a Hobbesian reinvention demonstrating how authoritarian government forces order out of chaos. This article argues that, though Hobbesian elements present themselves, Shakespeare employs subtexts available to his time and place to speak of how orderly government is constituted: that is, he relies on accounts of the Fall from perfection into chaos and the return from it through divinely blessed kingship that are present in syncretic readings of Ovid and the Bible. The two subtexts give order to the progress from Fall into chaos and back …

Delirium And Derangement: Futurities Of Climatic And Islandic Relationality In Philippine Artistic Practice, Isa Lacuna

Akda: The Asian Journal of Literature, Culture, Performance

The Philippines as locus of both specific experience and shared sympathy with regard to climate change allows for an investigation of the complex factors that describe a realm of experience unique to this present age: catastrophic weather in both its scorching and diluvian iterations. In this paper, I argue that the atmospheric delusions in the artistic practices of Mark Orozco Justiniani’s Arkipelago and the Vargas Museum’s Fever Dream point to a more expansive relationality with climate that forces us to re-evaluate precisely what ecocritical scholars have called the derangements of everyday modern life. The experience of exceptional heat and rain, …

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 …

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 …

Volume 34 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

The Spring 2021 issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal (Volume 40, Issue 2) showcases an eclectic mix of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, emphasizing a broad spectrum of literary voices and styles. Under the editorship of Camden Burris, this issue strives for inclusivity, featuring works that explore identity, artistic exploration, and resilience. Themes of self-discovery, human connection, and transformation emerge across the collection, offering readers a compelling and varied literary experience. Through vivid storytelling and poetic introspection, the issue embodies the journal’s commitment to contemporary literature while embracing both traditional and experimental narratives.

Volume 34 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

The Fall 2020 issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal (Volume 39, Issue 1) emerges from a period of immense global and national upheaval. Featuring poetry, fiction, and essays from a diverse range of contributors, this issue reflects on themes of change, resilience, and the human experience during a historic year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, social justice movements, and political uncertainty. Some works directly engage with these events, offering personal insights from inside the prison system, reflections on racial injustice, and meditations on isolation and connection. Others explore universal themes of love, loss, and the passage of time, reinforcing the …

Volume 33 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Spring 2020, is a speculative-themed edition, exploring science fiction, fantasy, horror, and literary surrealism. The issue, archived as Volume 33, Issue 2, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 38, Issue 2. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the online collection may not match those printed in the original journals.

Editor Chad Hall, in his editorial preface, discusses the meaning of "speculative" in literature—how it allows for imaginative world-building and boundary-pushing creativity …

Volume 33 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Fall 2019, presents a diverse selection of poetry and fiction, focusing on identity, artistic expression, and the transformative power of storytelling. The issue, archived as Volume 33, Issue 1, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 38, Issue 1. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the online collection may not match those printed in the original journals.

Editor Sydney Austin, in her editorial preface, reflects on the idea of literature as art rather …