Smoking Behind the Register at the General Deli

• Other Authors: Carter, Maari (authoraut)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: Literature
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-9301

The lives and landscapes that exist within these poems serve as catalysts for reflections upon issues related to personal familial conflict, the attempt to construct a pragmatic, moral structure while struggling with the influence of Southern Baptist ideology, and an epistemology reliant upon the blurring together of nostalgic narratives and first-hand experience. The problematic relationship between past and present permeates these poems, and an attention to musicality is my endeavor to tap into a kind of Southern duende in an effort to reconcile a problematic, cultural history with a sense of devotion and loyalty to place. I aim to explore, as Lorca says, the "dark sounds" that live in the bottom register of language I grew up hearing. For this reason, musicality plays a crucial role. My goal is to emulate the vernacular and cadence of my home region of Mississippi. The manuscript, itself, contain three sections, each with its own theme. The purpose of this is to map the individual's progression of understanding or, in other words, how a person comes to know meaning at different times as a result of different influences. === A Thesis submitted to the Department of English in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts. === Spring Semester, 2015. === March 27, 2015. === Creative Writing, Poetry === Includes bibliographical references. === Barbara Hamby, Professor Directing Thesis; David Kirby, Committee Member; James Kimbrell, Committee Member; Maxine L. Montgomery, Committee Member.