Date of Award
Spring 5-16-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
English
First Advisor
Lori Martin
Second Advisor
Chase Dearinger
Third Advisor
Kyle Thompson
Keywords
Ghost, Magnolia, Church, Dogwood, Supernatural, Midwest
Abstract
For my thesis, I wrote stories that focused on many of the emotions that often follow hand in hand with exploring trauma—Grief, disappointment, anger, vulnerability, and self-realization. I’ve learned from my own experiences, and that of others, that it is often easier to cope with these emotions and experience them if they are told through an otherworldly lens. Sometimes the emotions are too big to feel natural, so we look to the supernatural or darker sides of reality to cope. This is what I hoped to explore.
In “Church of Unity,” the ghost of a young boy attempts to protect another child from his own fate. In “Rotting Magnolias,” a teenage girl comes to terms with the abuse she faced throughout her life after seeing it replicated in nature and makes a life altering decision. “Spliced” explores the idea of the value of art over that of a human life and contemplates how far someone will go for their own reputation. “The Book Man” anticipates the arrival of a non-human entity who heavily violates privacy as a symbol of surveillance. “Dogwood Blossoms” explores the disappointment of reality that so many often face in adulthood.
Recommended Citation
Steele-Thomas, Ashton C., "Church of Unity and Other Short Stories" (2026). Electronic Theses & Dissertations. 846.
https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/etd/846
