Date

12-16-2025

Department

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA)

Chair

Rachel Griffis

Keywords

empathy, travel, study, military, Iraq, birthdays, university

Disciplines

Creative Writing

Abstract

This thesis explores the exquisite interplay of moments that matter in brief human interactions. The Critical Paper focuses on the contrasting literary theories of Reader-Response Criticism and Psychoanalytic Criticism, which illustrate the varying ways readers engage with written works. The Artist Statement provides insight into the origin story of the writer and the variety of influences that led to the lyrical field of writing. The Creative Manuscript features a substantial portion of the writer’s memoir. Titled “The Turning of the Years,” this memoir-style work is anchored by significant life events that occurred near the writer’s impactful birthdays. An undercurrent of the thesis topic highlights the numerous people and experiences the writer encountered, both at home and abroad, and how these brief moments monumentally shaped the writer. The reader is challenged to consider the people they bump into and how these seemingly insignificant interactions shape the fabric of their lives.

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