The Rebel Collection

Author

Erika Leigh Andra, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Date of Award

5-2004

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

English

Major Professor

Michael Knight

Committee Members

Allen Weir, Rob Stillman

Abstract

This collection of creative writing incorporates an introduction, three short stories, and a creative non-fiction piece, all of which represent my emotional exploration of both intense subject matters and an autobiographical impulse (blending the lines between fiction and non-fiction).

The introduction to “The Rebel Collection” pointedly scrutinizes my writing aesthetics and includes lists of authors and works which have profoundly influenced me. The creative non-fiction piece, “My Writer’s Eye,” relates my adventures from a mission trip to Mexico, during which I examined religion, writing, and class structures. The first short story, “Shells,” delves into the mind of a woman in graduate school who considers suicide. “Sultry,” the second short story, explores the unreliability of stereotypes and the unpredictability of death. The final short story, “Stages,” bookends the collection with a hard look at religion, death, and the afterlife.

Recommended Citation

Andra, Erika Leigh, "The Rebel Collection. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2004.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/4662