Date of Award
5-2021
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts
Department
English
Program
Creative Writing (MFA)
First Advisor/Chairperson
Dr. Patricia Killelea
Abstract
Skateboard Jesus is a collection of poetry written in mostly first and second person free verse, containing in addition some prose poems and other forms harder to categorize. The poetry in this collection is largely narrative in structure, and engages with themes of identity and performance as objects of its larger concern, often filtered through the lens of music. In addition, my work often focuses on religion, mental health, and gender and sexuality. This collection, by the very nature of its concerns, engages in discussions of performance theory. Performance and narrative are inseparable entities, permeating every facet of our existence as vehicles for ideology and identity formation. This manifests in my writing in the tension inherent in the nexus of my identity as a queer Christian woman from the South.
Recommended Citation
Alligood, Kenley, "Skateboard Jesus" (2021). All NMU Master's Theses. 665.
https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/665
Access Type
Open Access
Justification for Restricting Access
This is a creative work and I plan to seek publication of most if not all of the poems contained herein post graduation. Any literary magazine or publishing house would consider a manuscript freely available on the internet as "previously published."