Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date

2025

Document Type

Thesis (Access Restricted)

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts

Department

Creative Writing

Committee Chair

Emily Skaja

Committee Member

Courtney Santo

Committee Member

Marcus Wicker

Abstract

A HORSE NAMED HELLSTORM follows the speaker’s journey through experiencing life as a queer nonbinary young adult. This manuscript explores the questions of what it means to be nonbinary and what it means to fall in love with other queer people. By utilizing various forms and a lens of surrealism, the speaker answers these questions. This manuscript strives to honestly explore both the beautiful and the negative sides of the speakers’ queer sexuality and gender experiences through a world filled with primarily Southern nature as the speaker seeks solace from body dysphoria and queerphobia. The readers are taken through an arc of seeking transformation from one body to another to painful relationships with lovers to a lack of self-love until, finally, the speaker lands among peace-filled poems full of love for their friends, their mother, their lovers and themself. The speaker recognizes that despite the struggles of being queer in the South, the speaker still and will always belong there, in nature, loved and at home in heart and body.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest.

Notes

No access

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