First Advisor

Janice Lee

Term of Graduation

Spring 2023

Date of Publication

7-25-2023

Document Type

Closed Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Creative Writing

Department

English

Language

English

Subjects

Fiction, Gun Violence, Identity, Meaning Making, Natural World, Trauma Narrative

DOI

10.15760/etd.3585

Physical Description

1 online resource ( pages)

Abstract

Heartbreak and Head Trauma is a novel -- a work of contemporary fiction -- set in rural Washington State, exploring themes of patriarchal, racial and physical trauma; meaning and meaninglessness; and the value of meaning as found through connection to the natural world. The narrative centers three primary characters prior to, during, and following the events of a school shooting. The form is fragmented, as is the narrative -- told from third, second, and first person points of view -- reflecting the intrinsic temporal and interpersonal delineation of traumatic experiences. The novel explores the value of meaning making through nature as a way of healing, or at least coping.

Rights

© 2023 August Joseph Amoroso

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Comments

This thesis is only available to students, faculty and staff at PSU.

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/40584

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Available for download on Friday, July 25, 2025

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