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Un-Silencing Dickinson: Emily Dickinson's Aversion To The Male Body And Heterosexuality In "My Life Had Stood–– A Loaded Gun", Cassandra Barron

Global Tides

This paper examines Emily Dickinson's aversion to heterosexual marriage and sexual initiation in her poem "My Life had stood-- a Loaded Gun". The ethics of deciphering through identifying and categorizing potentially Queer authors and texts impacts our understandings of frequently canonized authors such as Emily Dickinson. Emily Dickinson's nineteenth-century American context informed her ability to write deliberately about her experience of subversive sexual desire. Instead, Dickinson utilizes images of death, apathy, and immortality to illustrate her revulsion toward the male body and heterosexual marriage. This paper illustrates how utilizing Queer and feminist theories illuminates new and potential understandings of Emily …

Sinclair Lewis Society Newsletter, Vol 33, No. 2, The Sinclair Lewis Society

Sinclair Lewis Society Newsletter

"Sinclair Lewis Conference in Sauk Centre to Celebrate Arrowsmith"

"Impressions of Sinclair Lewis: Interview with Andrea B. Nardi, Italian Translator of Main Street," by Anthony Di Renzo

"Mr. Babbitt Goes to Washington"

"'You meet such interesting people on the road': Humor in Sinclair Lewis's Early Travel Writing," by Sally E. Parry

"'Adventures in Autobumming' and Hell on Wheels," by Sally E. Parry

"Meet the 2025 Lewis Conference Keynote Speaker: Dr. Michael T. Osterholm," by Shaun F. Richards

From Ruin To Reconstruction: Words Shaping Identity In Undertow And Uncultured, Hannah Harvey

English Senior Capstone

Undertow by Charlene Edge and Uncultured by Daniella Mestanyek Young each document the rise and fall of a religious cult—The Way International and The Children of God, respectively—and the authors’ personal experiences with cult indoctrination. Both works discuss cult leaders’ use of psychologically manipulative language to strip members’ agency and individuality, and both works demonstrate how Edge and Young reclaimed their sense of self by processing their experiences in writing. An examination of their memoirs supplemented by selections from Emily Dickinson’s poetry reveals the power of words to destroy and create, to be used by cult leaders to obliterate the …

What Are The Games For?: The Hunger Games And Reality Tv, Audrey Perez

Senior Honors Theses

In Suzanne Collins’ series, The Hunger Games, a dystopian Capitol holds an annual televised gladiator-style competition in which child participants fight to the death. These Games function as a psychological tool of propaganda that influence both viewers and participants to sustain an oppressive government. Collins prominently explored the Games’ medium as a reality television show through the way it reinforces an ideology of oppression and control through visual messaging and emotional complicity to create division between classes of people. Real world reality TV also has ideological underpinnings that can negatively influence both viewers and participants through its depiction of a …

Death Becomes Us: The Consumptive Body In Nineteenth-Century Gothic Literature, Jennifer Marie Mcmahon

All NMU Master's Theses

This thesis examines the impacts of nineteenth-century tuberculosis epidemics on gothic literature published between 1842 and 1872. In this period of time, tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in the United States and in Europe, killing an estimated one in seven people. Using theoretical lenses of psychoanalysis and material ecocriticism, this project considers borders between material bodies—specifically those between bacterial agents and humans—to be illusory and socially constructed. The first chapter focuses on the ways in which representations of tuberculosis, and its associated entanglement with the environment, appear in the work of two authors from the United States: Edgar …

Chiral Collapse In William Gaddis’ The Recognitions, Drake Roth , '25

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

What is the purpose of art? What is the relationship between such complex binaries as: art and science, art and artist, music and musician? How do forgeries or fraudulent creativity complicate such relationships? And how (mechanistically) does art allow for a more holistic understanding of self and imagination? This thesis attempts answers chiefly using William Gaddis' The Recognitions, a gargantuan post-modernist American fiction novel published in 1955. By underpinning his book with themes of hands, binaries, and mechanized art Gaddis proffers an apparatus for understanding the relationships between opposing forces. Carl Jung’s theory of enantiodromia, or the process …

Falling Women And Empty Skies: Returning To 9/11 In Fiction By Daniel Alarcon, Claire Vaye Watkins, And Otessa Moshfegh, Jeffrey Gonzalez

Department of English Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Daniel Alarcon’s “Absence,” Claire Vaye Watkins’s “Rondine al Nido,” and Otessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation are American works of fiction that save their most substantive commentary on the 9/11 terror attacks for their final page, despite each text largely focusing on other matters. This gesture illustrates the works calling upon and questioning the gravitas afforded to the tragedy of September 11. Reviewing the reception history of 9/11 fiction and making comparisons to canonical 9/11 narratives, I argue that these texts complicate these canonical and criticial frameworks: they treat 9/11’s significance as a variable, rather than a constant.

Evelyn Waugh And The Problems Of Representing Conversion, Alec J. Miller

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Evelyn Waugh’s conversion to Catholicism in 1930 raised the question of how his writing would change. The satires he wrote before his conversion, Decline and Fall (1928) and Vile Bodies (1930), are hilarious but have no spiritual vision. Critics attacked his second novel after his conversion, A Handful of Dust (1934), for not being fitting for a Catholic writer to have made. Yet, Waugh makes a religious point in A Handful of Dust, exploring the wages of spiritual apathy without showing a path out. Later in Waugh’s career, he makes his finest attempt in the Sword of Honour trilogy …

Volume 30 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Spring 2016, presents an eclectic mix of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and visual art, showcasing both emerging and established voices. The issue, archived as Volume 30, Issue 1, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 34, 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 Qassye Marie Hall, in her editorial preface, reflects on the challenges and rewards of editing Nebo, …

Volume 24 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Spring 2009, carries the distinct theme of "Deja New," a phrase coined by the editorial staff to symbolize the Millennialist literary movement’s departure from postmodernism. The issue, archived as Volume 24, Issue 1, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 27, 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.

The preface by editor Isaac Wardlaw continues the conversation from previous editions about literary millennialism …

Volume 20 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Spring 2006, presents a diverse and thought-provoking mix of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, delving into psychological introspection, cultural critique, and experimental literary techniques. Originally archived as Volume 20, Issue 1, the print edition is labeled as Volume 24, 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.

Under the editorial direction of Tommy Bourgeois, this issue features a compelling selection of literary voices …

Volume 19 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

his issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Fall 2005, features a compelling mix of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, highlighting themes of social identity, personal transformation, and cultural reflection. Originally archived as Volume 19, Issue 2, the print edition is labeled as Volume 24, 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.

Edited by Rachel Dawn Tallmadge, this issue includes works from emerging and established literary voices, such as …

Volume 17 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Fall 2002, presents a carefully curated selection of poetry and short fiction, focusing on personal identity, memory, nostalgia, and the exploration of self through art and storytelling. Originally archived as Volume 17, Issue 1, the print edition only notes Fall 2002 as its publication date. 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.

This issue is framed by an Editor's Note by Jeremy Bunts, which …

Volume 15, Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Spring 2001, features a compelling collection of short fiction that explores identity, relationships, surrealism, and the complexities of human experience. Originally archived as Volume 15, Issue 2, the print edition only denotes Spring 2001 on its cover. 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.

This issue is heavily fiction-focused, with contributions from emerging and established writers. Notable pieces include "Nightfall" by Brad Molder, a …

Volume 15 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Fall 2000, is a compelling collection of short fiction and poetry, featuring diverse storytelling styles, psychological depth, and experimental narrative forms. Originally archived as Volume 15, Issue 1, this issue includes fiction and poetry from emerging and established writers, offering unique perspectives on identity, relationships, surrealism, and cultural observation. 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.

This issue showcases a range of literary …

Volume 14 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal features a diverse and engaging selection of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, with a strong focus on identity, artistic transformation, and cultural reflection. Originally archived as Volume 14, Issue 2, this issue is actually Volume 18, Issue 2, covering Spring 2000. 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.

The fiction selections include "BREEEAANGGGHHHAAANNGHHHEEEANGHHH" by Matt McNair, a surrealist take on modern anxieties, and "Paroled!" by Sharon Baker …

Volume 13 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal showcases a rich collection of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and literary criticism, reflecting on themes of self-discovery, relationships, surrealism, feminist literature, and cultural critique. Originally archived as Volume 13, Issue 1, this issue is actually Volume 17, Issue 2, covering Spring 1999. 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.

This issue features narrative experimentation and character-driven stories that engage deeply with memory, relationships, and social critique. Highlights …

Volume 12 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal is a heartfelt tribute to mentorship, education, and the transformative role of teachers, exploring the profound impact educators have on students and the literary world. Originally archived as Volume 12, Issue 2, this issue is actually Volume 17, Issue 1, covering Fall 1998. 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.

Many of the works in this issue reflect on the legacy of learning, with poetry, fiction, and …

Volume 12 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal offers a powerful and diverse selection of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and literary criticism, featuring works that engage deeply with historical memory, identity, artistic expression, and social commentary. Originally archived as Volume 12, Issue 1, this issue is actually Volume 16, Issue 2, covering Spring 1998. 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.

A standout feature of this issue is its literary experimentation, showcasing works that blend …

Volume 11 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, titled "Welcoming in the Millennium," explores the cultural, philosophical, and personal reflections surrounding the approaching year 2000. Originally archived as Volume 11, Issue 2, this issue is actually Volume 16, Issue 1, covering Fall 1997. 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.

This issue is an introspective and creative response to the millennial transition, featuring poetry, fiction, and essays that grapple with the future, nostalgia, historical reflections, …

Volume 11 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, uniquely titled "Cafe Nebo," captures the essence of a vibrant and eclectic literary café, where poetry, fiction, and nonfiction converge in a dynamic and thought-provoking collection. Originally archived as Volume 11, Issue 1, this issue is actually Volume 15, Issue 2, covering Spring 1997. 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.

This issue is dedicated to Dr. Joyce Dempsey, a distinguished Arkansas Tech University professor of English …

Volume 10 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal presents a unique collection of "Pop Icon Poetry and Fiction," a thematic exploration of celebrity culture, mythology, and its impact on literature and identity. Originally archived as Volume 10, Issue 2, this issue is actually Volume 15, Issue 1, covering Fall 1996. 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.

This issue takes a satirical and reflective approach to celebrity worship, Hollywood myths, and pop culture’s influence on artistic expression …

Volume 10 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal offers a compelling collection of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and literary criticism, highlighting a variety of literary styles and themes. Originally archived as Volume 10, Issue 1, this issue is actually Volume 14, Issue 2, covering Spring 1996. 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.

This issue explores themes of memory, identity, relationships, humor, and the role of storytelling in literature. It features an engaging blend of narrative poetry, …

Volume 9, Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal presents a compelling collection of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and literary criticism, offering a diverse and thought-provoking exploration of contemporary literature. Originally archived as Volume 9, Issue 1, this issue is actually Volume 13, Issue 2, covering Spring 1995. 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.

This issue features a remarkable selection of Arkansas Tech Writers, showcasing student contributions alongside established literary voices. Themes of family, identity, war, and …

Reading The Players: Developing Critical Consumers Of Sports Media, Katie Dredger, Katherin Garland, Crystal L. Beach

Virginia English Journal

Sports media is ubiquitous, and English Language Arts (ELA) teachers can use topics around current sporting activities and events in the classroom to engage readers and to teach skills of critical media literacy. Serving as a primer on critical media literacy, this article, grounded in educational theory, gives practical and easily accessible texts and creative lesson ideas to spark engagement, build community, encourage collaboration and foster achievement in secondary ELA classrooms.

Wizard, Demon, Cat; Reformer, Satanist, Bureaucrat: A Diachronic Analysis Of Three Modes Of Sauron In The Legendarium In Light Of The Book Of Lost Tales, Cameron Bourquein

Journal of Tolkien Research

This paper argues that Sauron is a metatextual shape-shifter. Through diachronic analysis it identifies and charts three distinct “modes” of Sauron coexisting in Tolkien’s legendarium. While Sauron’s most robust First Age appearance (in the tale of Beren and Lúthien) remained relatively unchanged from his introduction in the 1920s until Tolkien’s death, Sauron’s role in the Legendarium expanded significantly across Tolkien’s lifetime as Sauron became the primary antagonist of two additional Ages of Middle-earth. Some of the evolutions that accompanied this expansion are not retroactively reflected in the tales already written, hence these “modes” of Sauron could be said to remain …

“Walk No More In The Shadows, But Awake!”: Faramir’S Journey From Family Dysfunction And Grief To The Intimate Space In J.R.R. Tolkien’S The Lord Of The Rings, Rachel Crane

Journal of Tolkien Research

Examines Faramir's relationships--namely with Denethor, Boromir, and Éowyn--and role in Gondor via Yi-Fu Tuan's intimate space lens.

Hester Lynch Piozzi (Mrs. Thrale) (1741-1821) An Annotated Bibliography Of Her Published Works Together With Biography, Criticism, And Appearances In Fiction (Third Edition), Lisa Berglund Ph.D.

English Department Faculty Publications

There is no such field as “Piozzi Studies”—at least, not yet. For 250 years, scholarship on Hester Lynch Piozzi (Mrs. Thrale) has been desultory at best and at worst non-existent. Scholars who first undertook to analyze her life or edit her works were generally interested only in her relations with Samuel Johnson and James Boswell. Once feminist scholars began to champion the Bluestocking Circle, of which Mrs. Thrale was a peripheral member, Piozzi’s life and writings came to be taken more seriously. A significant milestone was reached in 2021 with the conference Celebrating Hester Thrale Piozzi (1741–1821). Still, while …

The Monday Manure, Zachary David Berston

Journalism

For my senior project, I wanted to create a new section of Mustang News that includes satire and cartoons. The section is called the Monday Manure to fit with the horse themed titles of other sections. This idea began as a project in the Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship class. While I initially had the idea to have a section that included games, I realized that it was a bit too ambitious after discussing that with the team at Mustang news. Over the course of this project, I have created several satire articles and cartoons, as well as organizing a team …

Celebrating Tolkien’S Legacy: Essays (2024), By Nancy Bunting, Seamus Hamill-Keays, And Toby Widdicombe, Douglas Charles Kane

Journal of Tolkien Research

Book review, by Douglas Charles Kane, of Celebrating Tolkien’s Legacy: Essays (2024), by Nancy Bunting, Seamus Hamill-Keays, and Toby Widdicombe