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
Recommended Citation
Grisham, Katelyn Elizabeth, "The Boys with the Spare Keys" (2019). MSU Graduate Theses/Dissertations. 3390.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/3390
