Creative Writing Commons^™

The Belly, Aijuana Bifri

The Tuxedo Archives

The Star-Spangled Banner plays and I don’t have my hands on my heart

next thing I know, I hear,

“You anti-American immigrant leech

if you don’t like America, why don’t you leave?

if you don’t like America, why don’t you go home?

you’ve talked shit about this country

expressing your pain in this country

aren’t you thankful we serve you in this country?

all you do is take money from this country

you ungrateful...” ~excerpt from poem

Better Than Grey, Tanya Tsikanovsky

The Tuxedo Archives

Our words slide off our tongues like marbles on wet floors,

too wet to stop gliding

And we soak up our thoughts like sponges,

wringing out the water we both now taste ~excerpt from poem

Write What You Know: The Process Of Writing A Young Adult Novella, Grace Morgan

Honors Projects in English and Cultural Studies

One tragedy, two lives changed forever. This novella follows the paths of two characters coping with the death of loved ones. It examines the themes of grief, friendship, family, self-discovery and inner strength. Specifically, how these things manifest and change after experiencing extreme loss. The dual narrative compares and contrasts the varying ways people react to grief. This project on creative writing followed the writing process from brainstorming to final draft.

Ivy Leaves, Volume 92, Ivy Leaves Editorial Staff

Ivy Leaves

The 2017 edition of the Anderson University journal of art and literature, Ivy Leaves.

The names of the known editors for this issue of Ivy Leaves were Jenni Harris, Grant Looper, Shelby Swing, Ruthie Snow, Randi Adams, Cara Ann Hendsbee, Haley Schvaneveldt, Caitlyn Lamb, Jennifer Bowers, Meredith Lyons, Michaela Staon, Tara Stewart, Ben Boerma, Jennifer Jefferson, Matt Swank, Shelby Kenrick, Lindsay Higgins, Cameron Ohls, Anna Tabor, Dr. Randall Wilhelm, and Tim Speaker.

The Howl - Spring 2017, Gwendolyn Derosa, Eun Jin Jung, Na Kyung Kim, Youngjoo Kwon, Aileen Lee, Kihoon Kim, Yu-Ling Tsao

The Howl

The Howl is a magazine that is planned, researched, written, photographed and designed by Otterbein University's ESL and international students. The magazine serves to give them a safe space in which to use their voice to share their cultures, experiences and lives. If you are interested in submitting to The Howl, please email your writing or photography to [email protected].

2017 Spring Quiz & Quill Magazine, Otterbein English Department

Quiz and Quill

No abstract provided.

Whose Voice The Waters Heard: A Short Story Cycle, Grace E. Hagan

Honors Theses

Abstract In this collection of short stories, each short story is a unique exploration of the powerful and often enigmatic concept of loss. The common unity for the collection presents itself in two parts: place and theme. Characters of all ages, from all walks of life, go to the river to have their voices heard and to grieve a particular form of loss. The collection takes a dynamic and expansive view on loss, and each short story reflects a different idea or experience of loss. It seeks to examine not only what can be lost, but also what can and …

Béchamel, Jhanvi C. Ramaiya

Student Publications

"In fluid, confident prose, this essay deftly moves through fascinating historical background on one of the ‘mother sauces’ and into a story of mother-to-daughter education before turning its focus to a story of learning through a blend of past teachings and independent experiences.” - Elissa Washuta, Author, Judge for the Virginia Woolf Essay Prize

Jack Apple And Blanche Cream, Annette Lust

The Tuxedo Archives

Cook: (narrating) One afternoon, after I finished preparing dinner, an apple with rosy cheeks and a pitcher full of thick white foamy cream stood on the kitchen table.

Cuckoo: Cuckoo! Look at handsome Jack Apple and sweet Blanche Cream! ~excerpt from short story

You Will Forget You Are Even Burning, Cheramie Johnson

The Tuxedo Archives

"There's places around here," Rego's mother told him once, outside on their front porch over coffee and tea, "where demons walk."

"Demons, then?" He was always playful, he always catered to her.

"Devils," she whispered harshly, and her skinny fingers shivered against her cigarette. ~excerpt from short story

Strange New World, Marcus Bowlus

The Tuxedo Archives

The trip between Egypt and Jerusalem had taken hours already, the environmental shielding on his sand skimmer shone a faint orange, the barren wastes flying by below were scattered with husks of tanks and bones, scorch marks still clinging to a battle field no one wanted to remember. ~excerpt from the short story

The Last Lesson, Travis Lyons

The Tuxedo Archives

Transmission sounds like it’s got maybe a day left in it before I really got to take it in. Put it off long enough now; ain’t like I’ve had any spare cash to pay for it. So now the damn thing sounds like it’s had enough. Fucking lovely. Refrigerator blew out yesterday; dropped my last light bulb while trying to replace the one in the kitchen. ~excerpt from short story

Waiting, Alexis Brown

The Tuxedo Archives

“Thinking about someone special?” a young woman with big round brown hazel eyes asked me as I sat waiting for my time to come. I didn’t really have anything else to think about while I sat on the old moldy looking chair inside the 36B Airport Terminal. All I could replay in my mind was the thought of my wife smiling at me when I finally got home. That is, if I ever got home. ~excerpt from short story

Gunman Slays 4 At Texas Church, Then Kills Self, Alexis Brown

The Tuxedo Archives

They were laughing at me, I knew it. I brushed the sweat off of my brow and looked forward at the tall looming steeple that had haunted my dreams for the better part of a year. I could see their false angelic faces staring back at me, mocking me, waiting to see if I would complete my mission. ~excerpt from short story

Winter Wings, Jennifer Jensen

The Tuxedo Archives

Aideen’s eyes glowed with envy as she watched her older sister Fia dance the Burning Dance in the center of the circle. Fia’s hair was a drifting mass of golden tendrils, and her thin, graceful limbs writhed in perfect unison with the movements of the flames. ~excerpt from short story

Jack In The Box, Laura L. Reiche

The Tuxedo Archives

Behold the bloodless puppet rising
out a cheap quadrangular man-hole.
Fluorescent mandarin hair forming
a deceptive heart around alabaster skin,
framing his daisy petal eyes, his pink colossal nose,
and boomerang mouth.

~excerpt from poem

Doors, Laura L. Reiche

The Tuxedo Archives

Staunch sentries of decision

gloating and imposing

tempting and untrustworthy. ~excerpt from poem

Dragon 04, Jennifer Jensen

The Tuxedo Archives

No abstract provided.

Dragon 03, Jennifer Jensen

The Tuxedo Archives

No abstract provided.

Dragon 01, Jennifer Jensen

The Tuxedo Archives

No abstract provided.

The White Light, Michael White

The Tuxedo Archives

No abstract provided.

Blue Man, Michael White

The Tuxedo Archives

No abstract provided.

Blue Embrace, Michael White

The Tuxedo Archives

No abstract provided.

Bag End, Claire Munzer

The Tuxedo Archives

No abstract provided.

March 16, 2017: Scholarly Speakers Series, Department Of English

Gleanings: Department of English Blog Archive

Trans*+ing Classrooms and Schools: The Pedagogy of Refusal as Mediator for Learning Under a Trump Regime

Putting Gender Revolution into Practice: A Workshop with sj Miller

Three Walls, Nicole Perkins

Line by Line: A Journal of Beginning Student Writing

This essay is in response to Martin Luther's Three Walls and his argument as to why Catholicism is flawed. This essay includes a summary of the three walls as well as the reasons as to why I think his logic is erred.

To Early Modern Catholic Lay People, Jacob Blewitt

Line by Line: A Journal of Beginning Student Writing

My process for writing this essay was rather simple, albeit grueling. I read and reread Martin Luther's To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation many times in order to fully understand his message. Then, I wrote an outline of his work so that I could summarize it accurately. After completing my summary, I began to analyze Luther's main points to develop my own position on the subject, which I then wrote about. This, however, was just the beginning of my process. Under the guidance of my instructor, Dr. Mackay, I revised and tweaked my paper over and over again …

Piracy: Trouble In The Digital Sea, Samantha M. Franklin

Line by Line: A Journal of Beginning Student Writing

When I was assigned this research project, I brainstormed, and shortly after, I took my ideas to the Write Place. I decided to write about piracy and found several sources using the library’s catalog. I met with my professor to understand her comments on my paper and had 3 drafts, including my original rough draft, my peer-edited rough draft, and the final draft after I met with my professor and edited my own paper.

Does This Picture Make Me Look Fat?, Alexis Reynolds

Line by Line: A Journal of Beginning Student Writing

For this assignment, my English 200H class was asked to research and form an argument surrounding a pertinent issue regarding gender in the United States. The topic I chose to explore was the relationship between women’s body image and the growing thin ideal portrayed in the media. Throughout the research process, I compiled an annotated bibliography, conducted original research in the form of a survey, and composed three drafts, two of which were peer edited and one of which received feedback from my professor. I hope my paper brings awareness for the necessity of action regarding this issue in our …

Analysis Of The Unc Paper Classes Scandal, Paul R. Maricocchi

Line by Line: A Journal of Beginning Student Writing

To begin this research paper, I scanned the list of possible topics that Dr. Biswas handed out in class. The topic that intrigued me most was college cheating scandals. However, I wanted to find one to specifically write about, rather than discuss cheating in college at large. After some searching, I came across the ongoing cheating scandal at The University of North Carolina involving their athletic programs. As an avid sports fanatic, I was interested. I did some basic reading on the case and decided to choose it as the focus of my paper. Throughout the writing process I read …