English Language and Literature ETDs
Publication Date
Summer 7-1-2022
Abstract
The lines between fact and fiction, real and surreal blur in this collection of magical realist tales. A young woman, coerced into hunting mysterious creatures in the forest, discovers that her worldview is marred by prejudice in “The Woods,” only to lose the family and support network on which she has relied for her entire life. The nature of storytelling itself is examined in “Violet,” in which a pregnant teenager has to make difficult decisions for her baby, informed by the complex and restrictive geopolitical systems in which we live. Meanwhile, the teen protagonist in “Redbud” struggles against the tyranny of the beauty industry in her small-town dystopia. “Starseed” examines the impact of Otherizing, while “The Soap Factory” takes on issues of consent and gendered violence. “The Garden” and “The Hive” follow this through line into an increasingly alienating and isolating postindustrial world. Each of these stories asks readers, What does it mean to be an outsider? Fortunately, it turns out you can see a lot from the outside looking in.
Degree Name
MFA Creative Writing
Level of Degree
Masters
Department Name
English
First Committee Member (Chair)
Andrew Bourelle
Second Committee Member
Scarlett Higgins
Third Committee Member
Adam Lifshey
Fourth Committee Member
Gregory Martin
Fifth Committee Member
Daniel Mueller
Language
English
Keywords
magical realism, fiction, Southwest
Document Type
Dissertation
Recommended Citation
Tubbs, Jennifer. "Starseed." (2022). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/engl_etds/321
