Sponsor
Portland State University. Department of English
First Advisor
Gabriel Urza
Term of Graduation
Spring 2026
Date of Publication
7-23-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Creative Writing
Department
English
Language
English
Physical Description
1 online resource (iii, 273 pages)
Abstract
Virga (Parts I-III) represents the first three parts of a five-part novel-in-progress. Spanning the Sonoran Desert from Northern Arizona to Baja California, the story is told in fragments set from 2015 to 2050. Through the vantages of five main characters, readers see the landscape of the greater Southwest as the effects of climate change impact communities and ecologies. Themes of political violence, loss and disappearance, and the nature of storytelling are throughlines in the work.
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/45059
Recommended Citation
Pierce, Ryan, "Virga" (2026). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 7166.