Keywords

fiction, weird, satire, obsession, irony

Abstract

& EVERYTHING ELSE is a collection of stories that explores various forms of obsession. In “BEG FOR SCRAPS,” Pickle, a former bomb-sniffing dog, fixates on his owner, who’s fallen into a cycle of neglect post-divorce. “LET THEM FIGHT” follows Casey, a 20-something on a date to see, for the umpteenth time, a kaiju movie that conjures their escapist tendencies from a traumatic childhood. “DINNER WITH THE FOOL,” narrated by a state-appointed clown obsessed with jokes, describes a family contending with their matriarch’s planned suicide. “BIRDWATCHING” follows three characters, each with their own odd obsession: Jodie who wants to photograph a legendary bird, Mary-Esther who sees God in her cul de sac, and George Chandler who fakes an alien abduction to sell his story. Finally, “WHAT CAME OF OLD VAN HELSING?” depicts Lyle and Caroline, each consumed by the specter of violent childhood wrongs and vengeful political actions. These stories, intentionally bizarre and darkly funny, explore our strange and compulsive ways of confronting emotional neglect.

Completion Date

2025

Semester

Spring

Committee Chair

Sanz, Manuel

Degree

Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)

College

College of Arts and Humanities

Department

English

Identifier

DP0029253

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Download

Share

COinS