Ordinary revelations: stories

Abstract

This creative writing thesis consists of a critical, reflexive introduction and nine short fictional stories. The critical introduction includes relevant ideas from short fiction theory, from Poe to the present, including a discussion of genre definition. The introduction provides support for the process of critical self-examination, as required by the thesis assignment, and includes excerpts from influential stories by other American writers, including Alice Munro and Katherine Mansfield, as well as excerpts from the nine stories. The introduction also includes ideas about the definition of epiphany, as it relates to short fiction, and explains the author's attraction to epiphanal stories. The nine stories are divided into three loose groupings. The first grouping includes "Purple Rain," "Annual," "Garland," and "St. Aug's." These first-person narrative stories explore youthful relationships, and the way in which maturity and time alter relationships and self-knowledge. The second grouping includes "Different Girl," "Head Shots," and "Employee of the Month," and provide in-depth looks at marginalized individuals; they seek to examine and applaud the challenges and triumphs of three seemingly unremarkable people: a poor student, a young dancer, and a fast food worker. The last grouping includes "La Familia" and "Fast Sunday." The former concerns a middle-aged teacher's failed attempts to save a wayward student and her bitter regret when he does not graduate; the latter is about a twelve-year-old boy's spiritual coming of age, and the regret he experiences when a kindly old man dies without receiving the boy's intended thanks. In each of the nine stories, careful attention has been paid to tone and voice. Despite the variation between first and third-person narration, and the differences between all characters, the author has attempted to create a unity of tone that links each piece.The introduction and stories are followed by a brief conclusion and a list of cited and consulted sources.