| abstract |
In this creative dissertation, I write about the connection between writer and place. Each story in Map Pins was included to build a single narrative. Its tone throughout is positive when describing the inclusive, welcoming atmosphere of a small suburban town but I do provide evidence of inhabitants who are excluded, or even some who chose not to belong. Through an interconnected series of stories, I explore relationships with other Maywoodians and the lessons I have learned from them throughout my life.
In my scholarly introduction, I explore a variety of narrative styles. Each of these authors was selected first for the theme of place in their work and then additional craft movies. I refer to Eudora Welty as an example of how characters intersect in between stories. Mary Karr is an example of partnering grief and humor. Philip Roth and William Faulkner both write about place with fine detail and apply novel approaches to their narrators. I reference Jennifer Egan as an example of narration in reverse; she tells a single story using multiple narrators. J.D. Salinger's narrator is an example of candor and lessons taught but never quite grasped. I include Sherwood Anderson in part for his single narrator and in part for his shadowy small-town Americana.
I extend the theme of the shadow side of belonging to a place into my creative piece, opening with references to Stephen King and Daphne du Maurier. Both of these authors, King, in particular, have had a profound effect on my adult writing life. Membership is not always inclusive, and it will be judged by its limitations. The primary focus remains, however, on the positives of small-town life, the lessons to be learned from your neighbors, and the desire to be the protagonist of your own story.
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