Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Lady Winters, Madeline Ice

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Lady Winters is a young adult fantasy novella based in a world of royalty and assassins. The line between good and evil should be clear but recent events have blurred them. In the shadows, lurks a darkness that seeks to change the course of history.

In a futuristic kingdom, Lady Celestia Winters inherits debt and a kill list following the death of her parents. She takes over her mother’s position as an Academy Assassin and uses her training to work towards paying off the family debt. In charge of her assignments is the infamous Headmistress and Celestia’s newest target is …

Rethinking Length And Form In Fiction: Workshopping Short Stories, Novels, Novellas, Flash, And Hybrid, Kevin Clouther

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

This essay challenges dominant workshop practices and details efforts to diversify workshops with particular attention to what is workshopped and how workshops can become inclusive of not only short stories but also various lengths and forms of fiction: novels, novellas, flash, and hybrid. This essay addresses face-to-face as well as online workshops.

Speaking The Unspoken: Reconsidering The Craft Of Subtext In Fiction Through Nafissa Thompson-Spires’S Use Of Palimptext In “Heads Of The Colored People”, Karen Lee Boren

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

This essay suggests new craft techniques in fiction are emerging, which act as a palimptext, a writing, erasure, and overwriting of subtext, establishing new relationships between writer and reader. Traditional uses of subtext rely on an unspoken relationship between writers and readers wherein writers “hide” thematic meaning in subtextual layers of fiction and readers “dig” for these deeper meanings. However, this essay shows reading practices have changed from deep reading to skimming and information-seeking practices. Further, subtext’s need to give the unseen and unspoken a limited and veiled presence in a text has shifted. Current unspoken assumptions about the …

Finished, Shayla Frandsen

Theses and Dissertations

Sixteen-year-old Tiny Sinclair begins her first year at Charity Ambrose Finishing School in 1953 already feeling like an outcast: her mother, a glamorous movie star, is dead, and her father is imprisoned under suspicion of being a Communist. All her classmates seem to have it so easy: beautiful Betty is an elegant and popular socialite, while Diane, the richest girl in school, is dangerous and mysterious (and, for some reason, hell-bent on ruining Tiny's life). When a classmate is found dead and Tiny becomes the number one suspect, the situation seems to go from bad to worse. Determined to clear …

Those Beneath, Dee Lancaster

Research Learning Experiences (RLEs)

The first chapter in a longer prose fiction project featuring a supernatural hike through Yellowstone National Park.

The Lantern, 2022-2023, Kate Isabel Foley, Jenna Lozzi, Emily Gurganus, Elliot Cetinski, Juliana Valerio, Morgan Grabowski, Laura Bradley, Elliott Hannam, Catherine Stump, Tyler Ways, Alessandra Armour, Emily Bradigan, Erin Corcoran, Leo Cox, Olivia Cross, Connor Donovan, Tatiana Kent, Andrew Kmett, Olivia Negro, Miles D. Noecker, Leo Quinn, Emilia Reed, Ryan Savage, Ze'ev Shaheen, Amy Smith, Vanessa Worley, Aurora Mckee, Evan Chartock, Matilda Dumaine, Sharon Gearhart, Yemu Huang, Sophie K. Louis, Mairead Mcdermott, Jordan Ulsh, Mattie Young, Emilio De Sousa, Sarah Fales, Owen Fazzini, Georgia Gardner, Christopher Gerrow, Jonny Gherman, Keegan Mcgowan, David Mccauley, Madeline O'Connor, Hannah Conley

The Lantern Literary Magazines, 1933 to Present

The Genie and the Scotsman • Taxi Driver Savior Complex • Midnight Waltz • Eulogy of Caution • Don't cry over spilled milk!! • I am the spider • The Lamb • The Witch and the Shepherd • Nostalgia • In the Summer I Want Light • I Am (Not) • Thanatophobia • We're not children anymore • Hamlet's Fool • Lemon • the last two people in the world • Amongst Chaos (what captivated me) • How About Now, Billy Joel • Bug Trap • Spring, Musser Hall, Room 219 • Time's Denial • A Song of History • …

Chart Study, Abigail Franklin

English Senior Capstone

Chart Study is a collection of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that recounts moments of my life and explores my interpretation of the world. It spans decades and continents, from the Midwest to the Middle East, while following the thread of uncertainty that has always wrapped around me. Themes of self-discovery, independence, and insecurity are prominent as I play with formal poetry and sectioned essays. The title refers to my father’s time as an aviator and is an homage to all of the characteristics and quirks he instilled in me that are explored more fully in the project itself.

Insomniac - A Collection Of Poetry, Fiction, And Creative Non-Fiction, Jason Abishekaraj John

English Senior Capstone

As the title would suggest, Insomniac is a multi-genre collection which represents a handful of my written works that were born during bouts of insomnia and depression. The poems I have placed in this collection revolve around my friendships with specific (and at times multiple) individuals. The creative non-fiction pieces focus on my experiences with depression, dissociation, suicide, anxiety, hypersensitivity, epilepsy, and self-harm in hopes that they might promote conversation. Lastly, the short stories are my own spin on Bhoot (Ghost) and ¬Shikari (Hunter) stories I hungrily devoured in my childhood. My hope is that each of these pieces can …

Pecan Grove Review Volume 21, St. Mary's University

Pecan Grove Review

Creative writings by students, faculty, and staff of the St. Mary's University community.

'The Frank Exchange': A Historical Drama Novella, Ariel Finkle

Senior Honors Projects

I am an avid fan of historical fiction books such as The Royal Diaries. But given the recent popularity of more adult royal drama series like The Great, as well as impostor true crime shows like Inventing Anna, on this project I set out to create a historical fiction drama of my own. While searching for a real-life figure to base my story on, I happened to see a quick footnote at the bottom of an article on Catherine the Great that intrigued me. At the turn of the 18th century, an ordinary young Polish woman named Eva Frank managed …

Lady Of The Joust: Defining And Classifying Flat Character Arcs, Rachael Michelle Varner

Masters Theses

Character arcs outline the growth or development a character experiences throughout a narrative. Of the three major types—Positive Change, Negative Change, and Flat—the third is often glossed over or ignored in academic settings. The Artist Statement addresses my experience writing a novel when I did not understand what Flat Arcs entailed and thus failed to recognize why my protagonist resisted the more popular Positive Change formula. In the Critical Paper, my analysis of texts dedicated to the craft of character arcs revealed that there are no consistent criteria by which to define or categorize them. Nevertheless, my research suggests that …

Political Propaganda In Young Adult Fiction, Jordan Spriggs

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Critical Introduction and Creative Work explore the effect of the use of Political Philosophies and Systems as plot and worldbuilding in Young Adult Fiction. This is explored through the lens of partisan antipathy and political polarization along with reception theory. By analyzing the current trends of politics as a plot and worldbuilding device in Dystopian Young Adult Fiction, I conclude that most popular fiction has a bias toward western political philosophy. This then leads to concerns over potential echo chambers and polarization. As a recommendation, I demonstrate how diverse political theories can be used in Young Adult fiction.

Gyno-Gerontological Discourse And The Dearth Of Old Women Narrators In British Fiction 1790-1860, Lavender Elisabeth Earnest

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the remarkable dearth of old woman narrators in British fiction between 1790 and 1860, both documenting their under-representation and explaining it as, in part, a product of a wave of medical discourse disparaging the physical and mental vitality of post-menopausal women. Regarding methodology, I perform a random sample upon a corpus of first-person novels published in the period and categorize each according to the gender and age of the narrator. This analysis exhibits, unsurprisingly, that most narrators in the dataset are either in the first half of their life, male, or both. Old women represent only a …

General Review Of Elements Quiz For "Write Or Left" Textbook, Kylee C. Pastore

Open Educational Resources

General Review of Elements Quiz for Write or Left: An OER Textbook for Creative Writing Courses. This quiz assesses students' knowledge of the key terms employed in the textbook and is intended for the opening weeks of the semester. Includes quiz questions and answer key.

Writing Mississippi Delta Heritage: The Literary Creation Of Place, Maureen T. Richmond

Student Theses and Dissertations

Since the late twentieth century, scholars of Heritage Studies have spoken of the processual nature of cultural inheritance, claiming that even the most respected traditions are often composed of memory, imagination, and fragments of history combined and artfully assembled. This contemporary analysis of heritage as an ongoing construction or creation shares points of similarity with the process of literary creation. Both blend the observation of fact with the operations of imagination to construct a desired reality. Both can be used to construct a sense of place. Using the paradigm of heritage constructionism, this dissertation examines fiction in the form of …

Unheard Voices: Minority Female Presence In Fiction Including Folklore And Fantastical Elements, Breanna Renae Grayson

Masters Theses

This thesis is about the representation of women and racial minorities and the incorporation of folklore and fantastical elements in contemporary American short fiction. This incorporation includes the characterization of nonwhite characters in fiction and the role they serve. Also, the main idea is to provide an explanation concerning the importance and relationship it has for minority female writers and readers. The Artistic Statement defines the author’s reasons, inspirations, and creative process for her choices in creative writing. The Critical Paper is supported by research and data to describe the use of fantastical elements and how they are implemented into …

Astor Place Barber, Audrey Nasar

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

"Astor Place Barber" is a short story about a math professor and a barber. It plays with the logical concept of a paradox via the Barber's Paradox, which, made famous by Bertrand Russell, tells the story of a barber who both shaves himself and does not shave himself.

Day At The Beach, Ds Levy

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

Dandelions, Crystal Mcqueen

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

The Vandal, Franz Jørgen Neumann

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

Rowing In The Dark, Laurel Dile King

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

Saxophone Prayer, Steve Carey-Walton

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

Non-Intensive Care, Frances Koziar

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

A Conversation With Stephen Graham Jones: Horror, Weird Fiction And The Way Of Slashers, With Sopapillas For Dessert, Billy J. Stratton

English and Literary Arts: Faculty Scholarship

An interview/conversation between Stephen Graham Jones and Billy J. Stratton, which took place in Denver on October 24, 2022.

Metanoia: A Short Collection, Liddy Elizabeth Franco

The John Carroll Review

No abstract provided.

Requiem For A Grocery List, Jonathan Green

The John Carroll Review

No abstract provided.

Anthropomorphism, Tina Lindberg

The John Carroll Review

No abstract provided.

Resurrecting Olympus, Jordan Ashley Miller

Masters Theses

The objective of this creative project was to reintroduce Greek mythology to the public, adapting the ancient tales to appeal to an ever-evolving world. In order to do the myths justice, it was important to examine adaptations and interpretations over the centuries to determine the philosophical trajectory of mythology. My studies unearthed a diverse portfolio of academic perspectives ranging from the likes of the more formal philosopher Thomas Bullfinch of the 1900s, to the modern, comedy-infused commentator Stephen Fry. Each voice revealed something new to consider. Synthesizing these varying positions into a holistic narrative, I set out to pen a …

Writing For The Fantasy Genre Through The Christian Worldview, Angelina Rose Butters

Masters Theses

My thesis proffers the prevalence of Christian worldview elements in fantasy fiction. The research findings presented expand on the different Christian elements within fantasy literature by interpreting the writing and influence of Christian authors, such as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, and secular authors, such as Jennifer A. Neilson and J.K. Rowling. I argue that within fantasy there are Christian elements that are either overtly or covertly incorporated. I present my findings based on these readings in different sections: fantasy’s purpose to provide entertainment, the inclusion of God to dictate the destiny and laws of the fantasy worldview, the inclusion …

Thesis Proposal And Project: The Cave, Jennifer Lee Bailey

Masters Theses

This piece is a work of creative writing, inspired by a true story. Slowly, it transitioned from creative nonfiction to a work of science fiction.