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Ornithology in the Absence of Birds

Date Permissions Signed

5-1-2020

Date of Award

Spring 2020

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Department or Program Affiliation

English - Creative Writing

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

English

First Advisor

Magee, Kelly, 1976-

Second Advisor

Miller, Brenda, 1959-

Third Advisor

Yu, Ning, 1955-

Abstract

Ornithology in the Absence of Birds is a condensed version of a novel, a speculative fiction piece that revolves around experiences of loss and how they impact us. The novel centers around the disappearance of one child and details the ways in which her absence reverberates through the lives of those left behind, pairing sections of before and after against one another as characters journey from initial loss through remembrance and on into coping.

Comprised of three sections, the thesis excerpt presents a snapshot of what the full novel contains. Through shifting perspective, character asides, and manufactured found texts, Ornithology seeks to highlight a menagerie of characters all placed under different circumstances as it puzzles through what loss really looks like.

Type

Text

Keywords

speculative, fiction, novel, hybrid, writing, loss, ornithology, absence, birds

Publisher

Western Washington University

OCLC Number

1154647963

Subject – LCSH

Loss (Psychology)--Fiction; Bereavement--Fiction; Creative writing

Format

application/pdf

Genre/Form

masters theses

Language

English

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

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