Collected Works

Abstract

The collection of work presented here illustrates the constant struggle individuals face in understanding the repercussions of their past, the weight of their decisions in the present moment, and the possibilities of the future. When taken as a whole, this collection represents a fractured, multi-perspective narrative; it is a reflection of life through the use of many lives. The pieces throughout this collection interact with many universal themes and ideas, whether it is the wants of childhood, the notions surrounding virginity, the loss of trust, the moment of death, the loss of memory, or even the pull of hunger, by locating the piece, the characters, and thus the reader, in an intimate moment of human experience. When looking at these works individually, one can see these characters caught in their own worlds, their own reflections of humanity. It is in these characters, whether man or woman, young or old, gay or straight, that I tried to represent the truthful nature of humanity and the human interactions that take place in the environments we live in. These characters inhabit country, rural, suburban, and city landscapes. Sometimes characters are bound to their relationships with others. Sometimes they are alone. Sometimes they do not know what they are doing. Sometimes their actions contradict their own thoughts. The characters are not always pretty, but they are real. In its entirety, this collection parallels our own human nature. This collection reflects the loss of what we thought or did not even know we had; it incorporates our darkness and our light, our fears and our hopes; it is a narrative representation of the experiences we take part in.