Creative Writing Commons^™

Who's A Good Boy?, Luqman M. Gbenro

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

Artist Statement

"'Who's A Good Boy?' is an exploration of texture and rudimentary collage work. This piece takes its cues from the Polish School of Posters and the punk asthetic that dominated the late '70s and '80s. The distressed text and inharmonious elements beg questions about a great possible chaos."

Crochet Fairy Batman, Sammantha Lopez-Guarin

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

Artist Statement

"The dark knight, the man, the legend, Batman only with a little bit of flare and a lot of style! Coming at you in all shades of pink and a tutu, he's here to help you."

What They Will See, Mahir Abrar

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

Author Statement

"'What They Will See' was inspired by the idea of how history—and even potential outsiders—might remember humanity. Too often, we are defined by our wars, destruction, and conflict, while the quiet, beautiful moments of love, growth, and sacrifice go unnoticed. This poem contrasts those two realities, highlighting how easily the essence of human life is lost in the grand narrative of violence. The final lines serve as a reflection on our misplaced priorities, urging us to recognize what truly matters before it’s too late."

The Artists Is A Sadist, Brianna Calderon

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

Artist Statement

"'The Artist Is A Sadist' explores the intersection of artistic creation, suffering, and control. As someone balancing a rigorous science curriculum, research demands, and external expectations, I grew frustrated when art was dismissed as a ‘break’ or an ‘easier’ pursuit. Cause in reality, creativity is difficult—creation is painful, even cruel, but it’s a necessary cruelty. This piece depicts a girl stabbing herself in the abdomen like a martyr while maintaining composure, ready for an audience that underestimates the discipline and depth of art. Through this work, I wanted to confront the uncomfortable truth of being a student torn …

A Few Words From Our Staff

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

No abstract provided.

Still I Lie Here, Rachel A. Taylor

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

Artist Statement

"This photo was captured in the forest of Providence, North Carolina, while spending time with nature. Staring into the water I felt a stillness; and peace rolled over me. Later on that same hike, I saw a sign that the trail I was standing on, was soon to be demolished. The forest would be turned into yet another roadway. That evening, I joined many other locals in a petition to stop the deforestation of Greenways in North Carolina.

I often think about that forest, and the peace I received that day. And even in the face of a …

Eyes, Sophia Dakkuri

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

Artist Statement

"Eyes as a topic has been interesting for Sophia for a long time. The expression, beauty, and uniqueness of eyes have always been an inspiration for Sophia.

Eyes are about the beginning of human connection. Fiber connects everything together. That's why Sophia picked fiber as a medium for this piece. When Sophia was making it she also thought of a past conversation in the media about whether AI could fill the role of an artist and whether it can create art for people. With this piece Sophia wanted to express that only humans can genuinely connect with each …

Star Girl, Roseline Jean-Pierre

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

Artist Statement

"The world is so vivid and bustling with art. I just hope to capture it all before my heart. I am just a photographer with a keen eye. I want to capture everything I see, art is all around me and it's hard not to notice so I flick a picture and hope that my work shows it."

Flight Of The Clipped Wings, Thaily Jeanty

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

Author Statement

"'Flight of the Clipped Wings' delves into the emotional journey of struggling with mental health issues and the stigma that often surrounds them. The pressure to conform to societal norms is a constant struggle, especially when fear of discrimination is at play. The pet birds represent two contrasting aspects: Charlotte symbolizes freedom and hope, while Cassiel embodies isolation and loneliness. These birds act as foils to one another, reflecting the tension between societal expectations and personal non-conformity. The piece aims to raise awareness by immersing readers in this complex experience."

Painter Hands, Tyriana White

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

Artist Statement

"This photo was part of a photography project centering on the 'Art Student Experience.' As an art student, I found certain mediums could leave my workspace and hands messy. I wanted this photo to showcase the resulting messiness of painting."

Saccharine, Alessandra Alvarez Coke

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

Author Statement

"This poem is about longing and yearning, specifically as a queer woman. In friendships between queer women, the lines between platonic and romantic partnership often get blurred and distorted. Specifically 'Saccharine' explores these complex feelings of guilt, loyalty, and love in an undefined relationship, where the affection is assumed to be unreciprocated."

Behind The Painting, Aries Calderon

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

Artist Statement

"'Behind The Painting,' is a representative piece on how messy how felt when it came to my junior year of my college year. I always had this idea that once college ended, it was only a straight-forward path from here, or so I grew up to believe if I continued to follow down this path my parents have paved for me. You would think being in this position of stability, it would be easy for anyone to just listen and do everything blindly as you are guided towards success, but it turned out to be the most hurtful …

Bare Bones, Jessica L. Rodriguez

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

Artist Statement

"The inspiration for this piece began in my Life Drawing course that I took in the fall 2023 semester. Our assignment was to draw an open composition of a skeletal figure in class to understand anatomy. When I completed the piece, it really spoke to me. The composition, posing, and the fact that it was just bones aligned with themes in some of my other works about loneliness. This piece also reflects giving everything you have, even your bones, yet still being lonely with no one and nothing around you."

Echoes Of Existence, Alivia Klipp

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

Artist Statement

"For this piece, I wanted to explore what the eyes can see. Graphite and charcoal help to highlight lights and darks within the objects to reflect my own perspective of life."

The Hospital Chaplain, Zachary Berman

Quill & Scope

No abstract provided.

I’M A Doctor, Not A Dj, Kasi Garcia, Derick Goff

Quill & Scope

No abstract provided.

My First Spikes, Deepika Dilip

Quill & Scope

No abstract provided.

Hospital Poem, Meganne Vasey

Quill & Scope

No abstract provided.

Interlude, Meganne Vasey

Quill & Scope

No abstract provided.

Mirrored, Savannah Anderson

Quill & Scope

No abstract provided.

Am I Still A Scientist?, A.M. Wilson

Quill & Scope

No abstract provided.

The Last Pulse, A.M. Wilson

Quill & Scope

No abstract provided.

No Longer At War With My Words: Finding Healing Through Therapeutic Writing, Marlo Degaetano Kreitzinger

Theses and Dissertations

While living in Dallas, Texas, I had the incredible opportunity to work with women transitioning out of homelessness, addiction, prison, or other life traumas. During my four years of facilitating life skills and job readiness classes, I witnessed a desperate need for healing. Many of the women I served were stuck in the repetitive cycle of their unprocessed emotional trauma. These women were often victims of the unprecedented mental health crisis plaguing our world and had little to no access to mental health resources. My initial introduction into therapeutic writing helped me to accept my own mental health crisis and …

Picked Apart, Mackenzie R. Mol

NEXUS: The Liberty Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies

Delving into the mind of a bullied girl, we see choices, we see people, and we see emotion. Oh, how emotions rule our minds too often. How do we overcome? A Short Poetry Story Submission.

The Ends Of The Earth, Rebekah L. Yockey

NEXUS: The Liberty Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies

"The Ends of the Earth" is a creative nonfiction short story about a girl trying to decide whether to invite her absent mother to her graduation. The story uses the sinking islands of Hooper's Island, Maryland to explore the concept of what to do when personal "islands" sink. The narrator recounts memories from her upbringing that have helped her build a sturdy foundation in life and compares them to the upbringing her mother experienced. By the end, the narrator states that building a firmer foundation should be based on adapting rather than abandoning.

Bridges And Mirrors: An Examination Of How Empathy Is Illustrated Through The Elements Of Quest Stories, Faith A. Rendles

Masters Theses

Stories are a gift. From generation to generation, in different cultures, through wars, festivals, pandemics, across dinner tables, and over a vast expanse of other connection points, stories have been a way for human beings to connect and empathize with each other and themselves. Quest stories specifically have been a mirror and bridge of life through the call to step out of the ordinary into courage, facing trials with bravery, and being challenged to practice empathy through the path that we walk. Through quest stories, readers learn to be aware of the moments on their journey that they are not …

Seven Days With Coco (Stray Cat And War Refugee), Snjezana Marinkovic

Masters Theses

This thesis presents stories of those whose lives are governed by trauma, unfortunate life circumstances, and social pressure. It is a mixed form work that includes narrative nonfiction and poetry. It also utilizes some of the fiction techniques, such as setting, description, and inner point of view (e.g., seeing the world through the eyes of an unwanted animal).

Authenticity In Historical Fiction, Reaghan Sara-Anne Avery

Masters Theses

Authenticity is often debated in the field of literature. It’s an element that attests to an author’s credibility and a work’s originality, specifically the measure of an author’s genuine intent and the historical veracity of the work, including the genre of historical fiction. Authenticity can be defined in twofold terminology: those being the idealism and the factual, historically based evidence of the piece. Assessing a work’s authenticity by analyzing its believability and relatability is a three-part process that includes looking at the realistic dialogue, sensory and detailed language, and historical elements in a given text. The partial novel below entitled, …

At Home In Horror: Women And Body Horror, Brooklynn Kreps

University Honors Theses

While most discussion around the subgenre of body horror focuses on its birthplace of film, the richest iterations come from women writing body horror fiction to explain the experience of womanhood. As body horror focuses on fear of painful or absurd mishap with the body. Women experience pain or absurdity in their own bodies every day with processes like menstruation, pregnancy, puberty, and heightened chances of becoming a victim of sexual assault. Furthermore, women experience society's forceful shaming and fear about natural processes of the body and experiences such as anger and sexual desire. Using this idea as a framework, …

You're Such A Princess, Andree Sole

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

You’re Such a Princess is a five-play anthology that reimagines well-known folk tales. By re-imagining four Brothers Grimm tales and one by Hans Christian Andersen, I follow a centuries-old tradition. As scholar Donald Haase explains, folk tales evolve with each retelling, allowing their ‘morals’ to shift over time. I have created encounters between real people (extending characters beyond Vladimir Propp’s Dramatis Personae) and revised the endings to challenge the audience. My Snow White character hews closer to the pejorative implications of calling someone a ‘princess’ in our society: entitled, arrogant, spoilt. Two of my storylines (Little Red Cap and The …