Creative Writing Commons^™

The Siren Of San Francisco, Emily Gage

Whittier Scholars Program

The Siren of San Francisco is a story I have been interested in telling for the longest time focusing on the coming of age of the main character, Mia, and how she deals with change through gaining the power of shapeshifting. A lot of the graphic novel explores the relationships between Mia, her mom, and her close friends and how her relationships with them change during this transitional period.

The driving force behind this story was my enduring interest in relationships, identity, feminism, and how people can shape the people around them, including themselves. I approached this particular story from …

I Come Creeping: Remembering The Battle Of Blair Mountain In Graphic Narrative, Ellie James

Senior Honors Theses

Between August 24 and September 4 of 1921, approximately 10,000 West Virginia coal miners marched to Blair Mountain in Logan County in a militant stand for their right to unionize. Despite its status as the largest labor uprising in United States history, few know or understand the impact of the Battle of Blair Mountain today, even within the borders of West Virginia. This creative project aims to contribute to ongoing efforts to memorialize this period of the West Virginia Mine Wars through the creation of a 10-page comic, titled I Come Creeping, which depicts and is informed by the …

A Seasonal Quartet Of Quilts: A Fiber Art Reflection Of Life Growing Up In Maine In Each Of The 4 Seasons, Isabelle King

Honors 499 Theses and Creative Projects

In this paper I will outline the process and inspiration behind my creation of a quartet of quilts, each one based on one season which serves as a reflection of my life growing up in Maine in those seasons. I will begin by examining the societal and personal experiences that have influenced my relationship with quilt making, before moving into discussing how the COVID-19 Pandemic changed these perspectives. Next I will examine the work of fiber artist Anni Albers and how her work was influenced by WW1 and her contribution to the feminist presence in the modernist movement, how her …

Celebrations 2023, University Of Mississippi Writing Project, University Of Mississippi. Office Of Pre-College Programs

Celebrations: A Literary Magazine

No abstract provided.

Glass: The Material That Defines Us, Madisyn Rex

Honors Projects

This Honors Project is an exploration of the intersections between glass science, geology, glass art, and my own personal experience with glass.

Back Matter

The Woodward Review: A Creative and Critical Journal

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

The Woodward Review: A Creative and Critical Journal

No abstract provided.

The Wonderful World Of Xtc, Pranav R. Police, Xtc 1993

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"My piece is a collection of beats that display my diverse production techniques and genres. This piece contains some of my early creations that I revisited to match my current style of production. The piece exemplifies my unique drum patterns and melodies as well as precise mixing quality. 'The Wonderful World of XTC' represents my early and disparate work, later serving as the foundation for my subsequent creations."

Untitled, Elisha Mendoza

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"This piece was one of the photographs I took for my photography final. My final was divided into three themes, one of which is called 'Lost.' The yarn is supposed to represent one being stuck and tangled in a dark place and period in their life, hence the black background."

Burn & Ashes, Maya S. Leshaw

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"Many of my paintings are me challenging myself with different mediums. Much like my other paintings, this piece focused on trying something I hadn't seen before. In many ways, the process was both trial and error. This painting, 'Burn & Ashes,' was an experiment. It focused on breaking the boundaries of fire and paper."

Cutting Ties, Jenna M. Handal Miss

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"'Cutting Ties' is about escaping the feelings of comfort and security cultivated in an unhealthy situation. Being held captive by this dark place, some grow accustomed to the suffering and prefer to stay 'in the woods.' The challenge is finding the voice and the means in oneself to fight the battle for mental freedom."

In A Nutshell, Marieann C. Raguso

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"As a woman veteran who was exposed to combat, death, violence, sexual assault, and other traumas during my time in service and after service with the VA, I felt I had something to say but had no idea where to begin. Upon attending college, I began to take poetry courses and fell in love with the art form. Not only that, but poetry allows me to be resilient against these traumatic, sometimes intrusive stressors and functions as a positive coping mechanism. So when I write, I write with my emotional intensity and always in my distinct voice."

Divinity, Aysia Stephens

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"I often hear of growing youth losing faith in religion due to how it was traumatically shown to them growing up, whether the adults realized it or not. I wanted to write a piece showing that despite the honest intentions, words and actions are shown differently through a child's eye."

Fort Lauderdale Nights, Shweta Shah

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"This photograph was inspired by a night on the beach and seeing the beautiful city light up. There was a unique sensation brought by hearing the peaceful waves crash on side and the busy city on the other. It represents a certain dynamic of my life, in between the hustle and peace. Finding beauty in this is a reminder to find beauty in middle of life’s chaos and calm."

Terracotta Dreams, Fidel E. Perez Pujols

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"In my art, I like to capture moments in time when I feel an overwhelming sense of a particular emotion. Different shapes and colors allow me to express these ideas."

Man With No Face, Maya S. Lehsaw

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"Like many of my portraits, this painting combines abstract and detailed elements. As you look through this piece, I've included many characters. If you look deep enough, you can see them all. This piece, like many, focuses on the hidden messages in life that are not always seen at first glance. So much of my art allows for interpretation and for every viewer to determine what they think the meaning is."

Self Portrait, Maya S. Leshaw

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"This piece was my final project for Painting I. Francis Bacon's work heavily inspired this piece. His work often reflected on human emotions and feelings and how humans endure such agony. My painting was much like his self-portraits; I wanted to paint the many feelings I always had. Whether it's the black ( the lows), the blues (the calm moments of serenity), the red (love or pain), or the yellow (the vast moments of happiness)s an experiment. It focused on breaking the boundaries of fire and paper."

A Journey To Joy, Bhavya Soni

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"In the past, inspiration for me usually struck after the occurrence of an obstacle or tragedy. I used my poetry to vent and organize my chaotic emotions into words on paper. But along with the lessons I gained from the adverse events, the negativity from the experience was also memorialized in the poems I wrote. 'A Journey to Joy' was the result of a realization I had while reading The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Carlton Abrams: remembering the joy and happiness in life is just as important as learning from adversity."

Fostered Fiction, Jenna M. Handal Miss

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"'Fostered Fiction' is about willful ignorance and the desire to create a false image, in order to maintain an impossible relationship. Despite no regret and the knowledge of its destructive nature and doomed fate, good moments are still remembered, and feelings of guilt linger."

Consumerism, Rosselyn Pérez

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"'Consumerism' was inspired by the clouding uncertainty that it brings upon our society. The piece represents the search for who is guilty of the damage caused by consumerism and questions their unwillingness to fix it.

The Mercurial Minds Of Medicine: A Poetry Collection, Rueida Ali

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"I decided to compose a poetry collection that allows one to delve into the complex thoughts of three important roles in medicine; all the poems focus on the double consciousness of either the caregiver, the doctor or the patient. The entire collection is based on emulating the narrative of Frances Burney’s 'Mastectomy,' reimagined in three different perspectives, while also emulating the forms and context of Hélène Cixous’ 'Laugh of the Medusa' and Amy Haddad’s 'Stereotactic Biopsy,' with the purpose of shedding light on a few of the many perspectives in the operation of a mastectomy."

Hands Of Influence, Nicholas Waguespack

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"A trace monotype layered over a regular monotype, this print explores the disappearing influence that my parents have on my life. Growing up their ideas and ideologies were forced upon me and this piece explores how I am trying to break free from these beliefs and ideas."

Minute Details, Isha H. Patel

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"I drew this piece during a time when I was suffering depression, when all I wanted for was the pain and sadness to end. I painted this subconsciously not realizing at the time what it meant, I simply just did it. Later I realized that having gotten through my senior year, getting to participate in a medical assistant course, to do something that I want to do, something I love, I found light to keep going. That was my light in the darkness."

A Seasonal Sonnet, Antonio Miguel Escorzon

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"I created 'A Seasonal Sonnet' because of an assignment for my high school senior year British Literature where students had to formulate an original sonnet. I was ecstatic with the opportunity to create one, although I knew the difficulties in writing in the particular iambic pentameter. I started with seasons because I sought to give year-round aspects a substantial recognition. I kept the piece in a separate document when I graduated high school and became a student at NSU. When I heard about Digressions, I thought about giving myself a try in submitting my own work."

A Requiem For Those Who Rest Their Wings, Adit R. Selvaraj

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"'A Requiem For Those Who Rest Their Wings' is a piece that emphasizes how nerve-wracking it is to leave your safe space and pursue your dreams. The author behind this piece has many dreams that require them to face their anxiety and present themselves to the world. The piece was especially inspired by the author's enjoyment of Japanese music, particularly the song 'Little Bird' by Chiaki Ishikawa."

Purple Heart, Marieann C. Raguso

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"As a combat veteran, I received a purple heart after my MRAP, armored truck, was blown up by an improvised explosive device (IED). It made me reflect on those who have come before me, and I wondered, how many women have a Purple Heart? The answer was less than 100 women have a Purple Heart, according to the Military Order of the Purple Heart in 2017. Having a Purple Heart is still a cauldron of mixed feelings for me, and I felt the urge to write about it."

Two Pockets/Two Mindsets: Balancing Humility And Self-Confidence, Esther Hastings

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

No abstract provided.

Hysteria, Fidel E. Perez Pujols

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"In my art, I like to capture moments where I feel an overwhelming amount of a particular emotion. Different shapes and colors allow me to express different ideas."

Don't Take My Mask, Nicholas Waguespack

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"Featuring a traditional Mardi Gras mask, this Lino cut explores the societal pressure I feel to reveal and expose myself to the world and the comfort I feel in some ways by being hidden away. With today’s society so focused on content creation and posting, I find myself conflicted with the idea of exposing myself for notoriety online but also wanting to keep my life very much private."

Loss Of Sight, Iksita C. Nallapaneni

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"This piece was created as I was exiting a very distressing time in my life. I had recently begun therapy and was using art to express myself. I had finally been experiencing clarity as opposed to the 'loss of sight' and clouded judgement, and painted this as a way to move past this stage in my life."