Soot & Shadow

Christa Crawford, University of Texas at El Paso

Abstract

Soot & Shadow is a creative nonfiction-based collection of poetry that focuses on the themes of freedom and loss. The manuscript delves into the lives of immigrant women, specifically those affected by the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and those who came to America as the brides of American servicemen following WWII. Based on eyewitness testimony, the poetry attempts to capture the essence of the events, the devastating tragedy, love, loss, and the freedom these women sought as they discovered Truth through adversity. The poetry itself explores various poetic genres while attempting to push against the confines of the page. Some of the pieces push beyond more traditional forms into the visual, concrete realm ––words rain down the page, radiate outward, and tumble out of windows to add further layers of meaning. This collection gives voice to the voiceless and attempts to convey, in a visceral, haunting way the experiences of women whose suffering changed the face of a nation.

Subject Area

Creative writing

Recommended Citation

Crawford, Christa, "Soot & Shadow" (2019). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI27669392.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI27669392

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