English Language and Literature Commons^™

Muzibogun Legend, Serena Parra, Maurissio Gonzalez, Renee Alonzo, Cj Spears

Team - Muzibogun - Documents

This is a story about how the Muzibogun are processing what we know as climate change.

Muzibogun Phonological Inventory, Serena Parra, Maurissio Gonzalez, Renee Alonzo, Cj Spears

Team - Muzibogun - Documents

IPA charts with the consonant and vowel phonemes available in our language.

Queer Bodies Defying Standards, Billy Adams

Audre Lorde Prize

No abstract provided.

Black Mothering And Environmental Justice Activism: A Black Ecofeminist Framework, Kayla N. Miller , '25

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.

2025 Greenleaf Review-- Fever Dream (No. 38), Sigma Tau Delta

The Greenleaf Review

No abstract provided.

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 …

Controlling The Narrative: How The United Daughters Of The Confederacy Shaped Collective Memory Through Romance Novels, Karie L. Cobb

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

While existing scholarship on the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) reveals the immense influence the organization wielded in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, I assert that their legacy has had a broader and more insidious reach than previously believed. Through close analysis of two foundational romance novelists’ works published during the rapid escalation of the genre’s popularity, I contend that the rhetoric of the UDC shaped generations of Southerners as demonstrated through repetitions and parallels of the Lost Cause ideology found in UDC publications and sponsored materials within romance novels written by white Southern women who came of age …

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 …

The Truth Is Out There: Ufo Conspiracy And Science Fiction, Gerry Canavan

English Faculty Research and Publications

The origin point of UFO subculture is typically dated to June 24, 1947, when an initial report of a "flying saucer" near Mount Rainier by Washingtonian Kenneth Arnold quickly sparked hundreds of similar reports nationwide (with varying degrees of irony, earnestness, originality, and reliability). The most famous of these claims is almost certainly one originating in Roswell, New Mexico, that July: a purported crash of an alien spacecraft that has remained a source of paranoid fascination for UFO watchers all over the world ever since. Many of the other 1947 claims also retain continued importance in the UFO community, like …

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.

Representation Of South Asians In U.S. American Children’S Picture Books, Eman A. Chaudhry

Senior Theses

One potential cause of racism against South Asian Americans in school could be the lack of authentic representation of South Asians in the media. A method to properly depict them is via children’s picture books, which can be used to explore different cultures within the classroom. I examined the current landscape of American children’s picture books that depict South Asians and found that the most authentic portrayals included characters embracing certain holidays or traditions. Additionally, I researched issues that affect the South Asian community, one of which includes the stigmatization of mental health. Drawing on my own experiences, I wrote …

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 …

Pecan Grove Review Volume 22, St. Mary's University

Pecan Grove Review

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

Mere Wudu Semantics And Pragmatics, Alexis L. Campos, Ixchel Mireles, Bryon Haynes, David Kamal, Zachariah Gonzalez

Team - Mere Wudu - Documents

The Semantics and Pragmatics of our language. Descriptions and explanations of our religious and cultural values and beliefs.

Mere Wudu; Phonological Inventory, Alexis L. Campos, Ixchel Mireles, Bryon Haynes, David Kamal, Zachariah Gonzalez

Team - Mere Wudu - Documents

Display of the Consonants and Vowels used to create our language.

Theshrahk Thwath Poem, Mary Arnolds, Sofia Farias, Alexandra Renteria, Nicholas Denmark

Team - Theshrahk Thwath - Documents

This is an original poem written in Theshalshe’s romanized form and orthography and translated into English. The personification of a plant reflects the Theshrahk Thwath society’s close identification to nature.

Theshrahk Thwath Syntax & Grammar, Mary Arnolds, Sofia Farias, Alexandra Renteria, Nicholas Denmark

Team - Theshrahk Thwath - Documents

This document contains different sentence structures that can occur in Theshalshe, highlighting the subject-verb-object pattern. There are examples of plurals, different tenses, conjunctions, adjectives and adverbs. There are also syntactic tree diagrams.

Theshrahk Thwath Semantics And Pragmatics, Mary Arnolds, Sofia Farias, Alexandra Renteria, Nicholas Denmark

Team - Theshrahk Thwath - Documents

This document contains some semantic fields and pragmatic conventions of the Theshalshe language, including apologies, story openings, and conversational turn-taking.

Theshrahk Thwath Swadesh List, Mary Arnolds, Sofia Farias, Alexandra Renteria, Nicholas Denmark

Team - Theshrahk Thwath - Documents

This document contains some the lexicon, verb conjugation patters, plural structures, and nominalization pattern of Theshalshe. The lexicon entries are presented in Theshalshe, romanized form, and a pronunciation guide using the IPA.

Muzibogun Pragmatics, Serena Parra, Maurissio Gonzalez, Renee Alonzo, Cj Spears

Team - Muzibogun - Documents

This shows how and when certain language elements and politeness strategies are used.

Volume 36 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

The Fall 2023 issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal (Volume 45, Issue 1) marks a significant moment in the journal’s history—it is the first full semester back on campus without interruption since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. This issue symbolizes a fresh beginning, a renewed appreciation for storytelling, and a commitment to fostering creativity in a post-pandemic world. Centered around the theme "The Power of the Painted Word," this edition embraces literature as both an art form and a force of expression. Featuring poetry, fiction, and essays from a dynamic selection of voices, this edition highlights resilience, artistic rebirth, and the …

Volume 36 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

The Spring 2023 issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal (Volume 36, Issue 1) embodies the theme "Glimmer in the Gloom", capturing a balance between darkness and hope through poetry, fiction, and essays. The editorial team, led by Alexis Calhoun, curated a collection that explores resilience, personal transformation, and the search for meaning in difficult times. With deeply introspective pieces and a strong emphasis on the power of storytelling, this issue invites readers to find light even in challenging moments. The diverse contributors offer perspectives on personal struggles, self-discovery, and the beauty of human connection, making this edition both timely …

Volume 35 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

The Fall 2022 issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal (Volume 43, Issue 1) is a powerful testament to the journal’s ongoing mission to uplift diverse voices and perspectives. Under the editorial leadership of Kai Beck, this edition prioritizes the inclusion of underrepresented communities, featuring works from LGBTQ+ writers, first-generation immigrants, incarcerated individuals, and veterans. Through poetry, fiction, and essays, contributors explore themes of identity, personal growth, and societal change. Each piece in this issue reflects a commitment to storytelling as a tool for understanding and transformation. The result is a deeply resonant collection that invites readers into a wide array …

Volume 34 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

The Spring 2021 issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal (Volume 40, Issue 2) showcases an eclectic mix of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, emphasizing a broad spectrum of literary voices and styles. Under the editorship of Camden Burris, this issue strives for inclusivity, featuring works that explore identity, artistic exploration, and resilience. Themes of self-discovery, human connection, and transformation emerge across the collection, offering readers a compelling and varied literary experience. Through vivid storytelling and poetic introspection, the issue embodies the journal’s commitment to contemporary literature while embracing both traditional and experimental narratives.

Volume 34 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

The Fall 2020 issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal (Volume 39, Issue 1) emerges from a period of immense global and national upheaval. Featuring poetry, fiction, and essays from a diverse range of contributors, this issue reflects on themes of change, resilience, and the human experience during a historic year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, social justice movements, and political uncertainty. Some works directly engage with these events, offering personal insights from inside the prison system, reflections on racial injustice, and meditations on isolation and connection. Others explore universal themes of love, loss, and the passage of time, reinforcing the …

Volume 33 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Spring 2020, is a speculative-themed edition, exploring science fiction, fantasy, horror, and literary surrealism. The issue, archived as Volume 33, Issue 2, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 38, 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 Chad Hall, in his editorial preface, discusses the meaning of "speculative" in literature—how it allows for imaginative world-building and boundary-pushing creativity …

Volume 33 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Fall 2019, presents a diverse selection of poetry and fiction, focusing on identity, artistic expression, and the transformative power of storytelling. The issue, archived as Volume 33, Issue 1, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 38, 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.

Editor Sydney Austin, in her editorial preface, reflects on the idea of literature as art rather …

Volume 32 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Spring 2019, presents a diverse selection of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, unified by the theme “Untold Stories.” The issue, archived as Volume 32, Issue 2, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 37, 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 Alex Farrier, in their editorial preface, reflects on their personal connection with Nebo, describing how their journey from student …

Volume 32 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Fall 2018, explores the theme of "Time and Space," a concept that editor Miranda Holman selected to highlight the interconnectedness of literature and lived experience. Through poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, the issue delves into how writers capture fleeting moments, explore the boundaries of time, and demand space for self-expression.

The issue, archived as Volume 32, Issue 1, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 37, Issue 1. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the …

Volume 31 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Spring 2018, is particularly notable for an unusual numbering error—while the print version is Volume 36, Issue 2, the cover mistakenly reads "Volume 36, Number 32". This discrepancy further underscores the complexities of archiving Nebo's historical record, a challenge addressed throughout this archival project.

Editor Rebekah Lawler, in her farewell editorial preface, reflects on her three years at Arkansas Tech University, emphasizing the transformative power of literature and the unifying themes of nature and human nature. The issue’s theme, nature …