Date

6-17-2026

Department

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA)

Chair

Justin Morgan

Keywords

WWII, WASP, Women Air Force Service Pilots, Gertrude Tompkins Silver, Screenwriting, Characterization, Film, Forever Skies

Disciplines

Creative Writing

Abstract

This thesis introduces the artistic vision and research that guide Forever Skies. The text examines the political and personal landscapes that shape Gertrude, the historical realities of the WASP program, and the feminist frameworks that illuminate how women navigated gender, war, and expectation. In weaving these elements together, the goal is not merely to resurrect one woman’s incredible story, but to honor the nearly forgotten history of a generation of pilots. Through creative interpretation and scholarly inquiry, this project seeks to reclaim a legacy still suspended in the wide, forever sky that once held her, the WASP, and her forever love, who also died in the skies, Stanley Michael Kolendorski.

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