Thomas, Michael P. (Michael Paul)

Scope and Contents From the Collection: The collection consists of theses written by students enrolled in the Monmouth University graduate English program. The holdings are primarily bound print documents that were submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the Master of Arts or Master of Fine Arts degrees. Students become eligible to pursue the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree if they have obtained a Master of Arts (M.A.)...

Abstract

The intention of this manuscript is to explore through poetry the challenges and blessings of growing up in a strict Irish Catholic household from the late Eisenhower years through the Nixon years and everything in between.

Keywords: family, Irish Catholic, religion, politics, body, sin, shame, ekphrasis, childhood, adolescence, poetic forms.

Scope and Contents From the Collection: The collection consists of theses written by students enrolled in the Monmouth University graduate English program. The holdings are primarily bound print documents that were submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the Master of Arts or Master of Fine Arts degrees. Students become eligible to pursue the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree if they have obtained a Master of Arts (M.A.)...

Abstract

This memoir encompasses Clark’s experiences as a transgender man with an evangelical upbringing. Spanning from his early childhood through his first year out of high school, Clark explores generational and religious trauma, as well as familial, platonic, and romantic relationships.

Keywords: gender identity, religion, sexuality, grief, trauma, relationships.

Introduction/Overview [excerpt] As scholar Cory Hudson notes, a paradigmatic shift has occurred in the way that critics read David Foster Wallace's fiction in the wake of the author's 2008 suicide. This shift has seen readings of Wallace's fiction turn away from the texts themselves and begin instead in para-textual materials such as interviews and personal writings. This causes scholars to often conflate their interpretations of the texts with details from Wallace's personal life (especially his own troubles with...