English Language and Literature ETDs
Publication Date
Spring 5-9-2019
Abstract
This is a full-length memoir and cultural commentary that explores sex and gender, sexuality and queerness, and sexual assault and harassment. Specifically, it focuses on how my upbringing in a conservative suburb of Portland, Oregon, with politically conservative, but sexually liberal parents, and the rhetoric of third-wave feminism, forced me to question what it truly means to be a “strong, independent woman.”
The book follows my coming of age as a queer woman. I explore topics such as: porn, BDSM and kink, faking orgasms, consent and coercion, and how faux-empowerment lead has led to low self-worth for girls in my generation. I also explore the ways in which third-wave feminism has contributed to performative female sexuality and self-objectification, and the ways in which queerness and kink can provide a better framework for sex.
Degree Name
MFA Creative Writing
Level of Degree
Masters
Department Name
English
First Committee Member (Chair)
Gregory Martin
Second Committee Member
Lisa Chavez
Third Committee Member
Julie Shigekuni
Fourth Committee Member
Marisa Clark
Fifth Committee Member
Ruth Wariner-Centofante
Language
English
Document Type
Dissertation
Recommended Citation
Peterson, Hayley. "675 Days: Stories Queer Kids Tell Themselves." (2019). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/engl_etds/271
