Date of Graduation

Spring 2019

Degree

Master of Arts in English

Department

English

Committee Chair

Jennifer Murvin

Abstract

As human beings, we are constantly losing something: our keys, our wallets, our credits cards, or the mate to our favorite pair of socks. But what if you lose something that cannot be replaced, something that will impact your life in a permanent way? This collection looks at what it means to lose something life-altering; our sense of self, our friendships, our planned futures, our grasp on reality. Some things cannot be replaced. From trust fund kids to a dad preparing a Christmas tree for his daughter, this collection will explore the idea of what we can (or cannot) afford to lose and how to move on from our loss. These characters are all trapped, in many ways, and some may cross paths, whether that hinders or helps their progress. These stories will play with magical realism, drawn from authors like Karen Russel and Robert Olen Butler, and my first inspiration, George Saunders, who always includes a little fabulism in his stories that I like to take inspiration from.

Keywords

short story, loss, magical realism, friendship, childhood, parenthood, loneliness, illness

Subject Categories

Fiction

Copyright

© Katelyn Elizabeth Grisham

Open Access

Included in

Fiction Commons

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