Date of Award

2025-05-01

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts

Department

Creative Writing

Advisor(s)

Daniel Chacon

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Growing up in a dysfunctional home with few supportive resources was my inspiration for writing this creative non-fiction work. The goal for Locura Progeny is to connect with people who have had a similar upbringing but felt compelled to not talk about it due the stigma it carries. I wrote this work in first person using a chronological timeline similar to an episodic novel. Each chapter is an important event or memory in my life that shaped my views on my future self and the key people in my life. This story is impossible to tell without focusing on the physical violence of my father and the mental illness of my mother. Separately, these issues are harrowing but dealing with them simultaneously was explosive. I felt motivated to write about the violence and mental health issues because I remembered feeling desperate as a teenager to find books and memories that were similar to mine. Feeling that hole in literature regarding these subjects was saddening. For three decades, I contemplated writing the story of my family and sharing the absolute horrific details of abuse with the aspiration of helping others in similar situations. This creative non-fiction book focus on my life as a child and navigating the physical violence we experienced as well as my mother's mental health issues. It serves to showcase the lack of resources for abuse victims and the silent culture we had to endure. It is fifteen chapters of my most profound memories starting with my first memory at the age of five. My most important relationships are writing about including my brother and grandparents. In addition to the dysfunctional home life, I write about how that dysfunction trickles into every other aspect of my life including marriage and motherhood.

Language

en

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Size

150 p.

File Format

application/pdf

Rights Holder

Cindy Longoria

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