Dead Man's Candyland
Abstract
This thesis is a collection of fictional short stories about people mostly on the brink of physical death and occasionally on the brink of spiritual death, as well as their observers. Topics addressed in the book include: divorcees fighting over a dog, one of which wishes to kill it, the other of which wishes to keep it alive; a man attending the funeral of a woman whom he has gone on one date with; a minute-by-minute collection of people involved in a broad-daylight stabbing. Most of the stories are told in a casual voice, contain small amounts of magical realism, and are depressing. There is a slight thematic movement from the start of the collection to the end of the collection, from sincerity to satire to sincerity, and from youth to old age.
Description
This thesis has been embargoed for 10 years and will not be available until April 2028 at the earliest.
Keywords
Fiction, Short stories, Flash fiction, Free indirect discourse