Kate O’Briant

Practicum

Dr. Woolfitt

4.20.15

Annotated Bibliography

Jagendorf, M.A. Folk Stories of the South. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. New York:

Vangueard, 1972. 123-143, 205-226,231-260. Print.

This was a resource I found in the Lee Library. I want my project to include

elements of folklore so I wanted to find several volumes about folklore

specific to the South. In looking in the Lee Library I found most volumes to

be older, including this copy, published in 1972. This collection is assorted

by Southern States and their native folk stories. I read specifically, the

chapters on Tennessee, South Carolina, and Louisiana because I wanted

to set my story in one of these three places.

The stories I liked the most were; The Bridal Ghost Dinner and The Silver

Snake of Louisiana in the Louisiana chapter, Emily’s Famous Meal and

The Tragic Tale of Fenwick Hall form South Carolina, and Kate the Bell

Witch and Beale Street Folks in Tennessee. I paid attention to

environmental and character descriptions in these stories to see how a

“folklorist” describes their surroundings and translates them into readable

stories.

Chabon, Michael, ed. The Best American Short Stories, 2005. Boston:

Houghton Mifflin, 2005. Print.

This was another resource I found in the Lee Library and have read

through gradually. The various styles have been helpful to me creatively

and stylistically. Micahel Chabon, Pulitzer Prize winning author of ‘The

Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay” and “The Yiddish Policemen’s

Society”, is the editor/compiler of this volume of short stories and prefaces

the volume that stories are first and foremost for pleasure/entertainment

and notes these were the stories which pleased him best.

Reading this volume helped me to see a variety of conclusions reminding

me whether they be open ended, gratifying, or frustrating endings can all

be unique. It helped me to realize not everything has to be tied up in a neat

little bow. Several of these stories ask questions with open ended answers

which have been useful in brainstorming and writing my short story. Also,

seeing a variety of writing styles from well known contemporary authors

helped me to hone my voice and pay attention to details as I wrote my

story.

Casterton, Julia. Creative Writing: A Practical Guide. 3rd ed. Houndmills,

Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. Print.

This is one of the craft books I referred to heavily before and during the

writing process. Casterton begins with some truly helpful observations on

creative writing and the need to make dedicated space to yourself as a

reader and writer. One of her most helpful statements is that if you have an

urge to write and any talent for it at all- you musn’t ignore it. She also

begins the book with some truly wonderful writing exercises including a five

day series on reading the world through senses by choosing a sense each

day and focusing on it and how you read the world through that sense.

I also found the chapters on short story writing and dialogue very helpful.

Casterton points out that to some degree all short stories are about a crisis

of question which you as the author have the power to answer or solve.

Whether the crisis is subtle or catastrophic I began to read short stories

with this observation and it was really helpful. The overarching theme of

the “Creating Short Stories” chapter is the need for change in a short story.

Some change must occur that the readers observe and the characters

choose to react to or actively avoid. Casterton’s volume was a go- to

source for me during my writing process an I plan in continuing to use it.

Rhyne, Nancy. More Tales of the South Carolina Low Country. Winston-

Salem: J.F. Blair, 1984. Print.

My time spent in Hilton Head made me want to create a story based there

because it is one of the most unique places I’ve been in terms of

geographical features, the feel of the island, and the places on the island

and the way they are laid out. So when I spotted this book by Nancy

Rhyne it seems I had to read it to get some more groundwork for the

setting. This book was sandwiched between a few others in the Lee

Library folklore section. I had an idea of the setting I wanted- slightly dark

with an air of mystery, and while browsing through the title automatically

stood out and helped me clinch the decision to set my story in Hilton Head,

South Caroline where I have visited a few times before.

The author of this volume, Nancy Rhyne, was actually well into her adult

life before she started writing. After a terrible incident of being bitten by a

copperhead multiple times, she picked up a class in creative writing as a

hobby because she couldn’t return to work right away. She and her

husband had always had a penchant for folklore so they began

investigation the back roads and low country communities gathering oral

tales and transcribing the into several awar winning volumes in their desire

to preserve the rich culture and background of the South Caroline low

country.

A few of my favorite stories in the book include “The Death Call” because it

includes so simply and vividly the dialect of low country peoples and the

power of superstition. I also enjoyed the story “Lija’s Gift of Prophecy” and

the “Ghost Who Rang the Gatehouse Bell”. I found these stories

interesting because they aren’t the traditional short story form but retellings

of oral traditions but they still maintain the object of change.

Bernheimer, Kate. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Women Writers Explore Their

Favorite Fairy Tales. Vol. 2. New York, N.Y.: Anchor, 1998. Print.

This was one of my other craft/research resources. This book is simply put

a compilation of essays written by women artists (writers mostly) and how

fairy tales shaped them, affected them, frustrated them, etc… The title

gives a clear indication stories- especially fairy tale narratives -hold up a

mirror so that geniuses of the genre such as Angela Carter can ask difficult

questions about humanity using the darker side of older fairy tales. Kate

Bernheimer, editor of this compilation, has a special connection to fairy

tales having written a trilogy of them based in Yiddish fairytales herself.

She also compiled the award winning volume, My Mother She Killed Me,

My Father He Ate Me: Forty New Fairy Tales. Bernheimer’s eye for great

tales and her talent for putting together stories and essays which give

special and intelligent insight into the world of fairy tales is especially

valuable.

Essays like “The Three Little Bears, Little Red Riding Hood and the Coffin

House” by Alice Adams address the difficulties of living a childhood where

any moment someone could tear away your myths from you. While Citra

Banerjee Divakaruni’s essays addresses her obsession with the tale of the

“Palace of Snakes” and its relation to her coming to America- her

reconciling belonging to two places. One of my other favorites included

Vivian Gornick’s “Taking A Long Hard Look at the Princess and the Pea”

Which discusses the feminine search for the right man and the constructs

a woman can create by presence or absence of that partner. All of these

essays helped give me special insight into the importance of the fairytale

narrative while also addressing some gender narratives present in my

writing.

Albee, Edward. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. New York: New American

Library, 1962. Print.

Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf is a contemporary, award

winning drama classic which explores tensions like gender roles, the

Western need for reassurance, religious effectiveness, the importance of

childbearing, and more. This play is packed full of powerful and detailed

symbolism as well as spectacular wordplay and irony. Looking at Albee’s

work was helpful especially considering his first act’s dialogue has been

hailed by critics as some of the best ever written.

In reading the highly respected and highly theorized piece of drama I tried

to keep in the mind the effectiveness of Albee’s word play and the absolute

effectiveness of his dialogue. His dialogue and wordplay were an

inspiration to my writing, helping me to view things in a different light-

looking at how my work flows from line to line as opposed to its entirety.

Subtext is also a key component to Albee’s work and I tried to pay special

attention to small words as well as breakdowns in language which

symbolized something bigger happening.

Holberg, Jennifer L. Shouts and Whispers. Grand Rapids: Wm. B Eerdman

Publishing Co., 2006. Print.

Holberg’s Shouts and Whispers is a series of articles/ essays from well

known writers speaking about how their faith effects their work . The

authors age, experience, types of work, and faith backgrounds. It is a sort

of “devotional for writers” helping writers take a long look at the various

ways faith can intersect with the discipline. It is so interesting to hear so

many different writers address faith in such different and often unfamiliar

ways. This source was helpful because it helped me to remember to look

at God in a real way but also in a vast way- not just the traditional

evangelical ideas I have grown up with.

Two of my favorite articles included “Why Have we Given Up the Ghost?

Reclaiming Literary Fiction” by Brett Lott and Silas House’s “No Bible

Beating Allowed.” Both of these essays were fairly straightforward and

differed highly in style from these authors style in their creative works. I

thought it interesting how they changed their tone to fit the present goal. I

specifically enjoyed Lott’s essay because it reminded me of a point

presented by my freshman year theology teacher. I remember him asking

what most students in the class thought of modern Christian art and the

opinion was widely negative. This begged the question, why are we as

individuals who have the power of the Holy Spirit on our side producing

sub par woer when it is out work, in every fired which should be yielding

powerful results.

Jarrett, T J. Zion. N.p.: Crab Orchard Series in Poetry, 2014. Print.

T.J. Jarrett is a poet from Nashville, Tennessee. She is a software

developer by day but in the meantime crafts vivid books of poetry such as

Zion. Jarrett’s poetry has been published in Poetry, African American

Review, Boston Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, and more. T.J. Jarrett’s

most recent book of poetry,Zion, was published by Crab Orchard Press is

a series of poem addressing a variety of themes- the most prominent of

which is racism. Jarrett drew inspiration from a famous lynching in

Alabama and creates a gorgeous and tenuous work full of vague yet

powerful images and gorgeous language. The infamous Mississippi

Statesman, Theodore Bilbo plays an important and poignant role

throughout the series of works playing a foil as well as a symbol of the

peace and forgiveness Jarrett hopes to find in this volume. Characters like

Bilbo and “the Dark Girl” keeps readers engaged an asking questions

about what is happening in these miniature narratives. Carefully crafted

chapters move the reader toward ultimate purpose.

I always find it highly helpful to see how a poet arranges there poems- how

they organize their themes. Seeing this and the beautiful voice of Jarrett’s

work stuck in my mind as I wrote my story. Her imagery is also incredibly

powerful yet subtle. I love images, so reading these images through such

beautiful and powerful prose was rally helpful in writing my short story.

Carter, Angela. Burning Your Boats. New York: Penguin Group, 1997.

Print.

Angela Carter’s Burning Your Boats was one of my favorite sources to

draw from. Angela Care a prolific writer of fiction as well as feminist

essays. The Times ranked Carter tenth in their list of “the 50 best British

writers since 1945”and Nights at the Circus was selected as the best ever

winner if the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 2012. Carter spent two

years in Tokyo after her first divorce in 1972 and this stint abroad greatly

influenced her writing because she stated it was in this time she “learned

how to be a woman”. Her time abroad inspired New Society as well as

Fireworks: Nine Profane Pieces.

Carter, a revolutionary feminist, used fantastical stories such as The

Bloody Chamber the comment on the traps women must break and the

prison which can be femininity In modern culture. Carter seems to have the

ability to write in a variety of ways- some stories sounded like

contemporary style writing and some seemed almost Victorian (The Bloody

Chamber). This encouraged me to remember every writer has their own

voice but also that stories don’t all have to sound the same. It is also an

indicator that each story is a commentary on perhaps some grater theme

or issue. The voice is changeable and unique, befitting the story it is telling

Plus, Angela Carter is of course a giant in the field so reading her work

was invaluable.

Viramontes, Helen M. The Moths and Other Stories. 1985 th ed. Houston:

Arte Publico Press, 1985. Print.

Helen Viramontes is revered in the literary world as an invaluable voice for

the chicana/ Latina world because of her contribution to the world of short

fiction. Her stories address the problems specific to the Latina

demographic such as oppression by way of the church, patriarchal society,

or the prevalence of “non literacy”. Viramontes powerfully breaks this

tradition in her spellbinding tales which apply not only to Latinas in

principle but to the human reader by dealing with issues like loss, fear, and

power.

In her first story, Moths, I was enamored by Viramonte’s style because

she speaks in a stream of consciousness and I write in a similar way, using

lots of ands, stringing objects and thoughts together and building to a

climax of sorts. Viramontes build this tension and suspense with every

sentence, which eventually leads the reader to the climax of the story.

Viramontes and authors’ like her remind me in the short story template

every word must be meaningful and serve for building the story’s

suspense.

Dunbar, Alice R. The Goodness of St. Roque and Other Stories.

Lexington: n.p., n.d. Print.

Alice Dunbar’s short stories were suggested to me by Dr. Woolfitt. Alice

Dunbar is lesser known in the short fiction world but he thought her writing

might be of interest to me when I mentioned I was interested in Louisiana

considering many of her stories take place there. I fell in love with Dunbar’s

writing style because it is so different from many contemporary authors I

have read.

Dunbar evokes setting and make old situations seem new and new

situations seem old with her voice and storytelling. She writes as if she

was born in the 1800’s and uses almost Victorian language to tell lovely

stories which upon a closer look bear great impact. Dunbar also reminded

me of an important truth early on in the writing process- not all stories end

like novels. Her conclusions reminded me that we are programmed to read

towards a grand climax when sometimes the ending is much softer

because short stories function differently than novels.

Eunoia Review. Eunoia Review, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.

<https://eunoiareview.wordpress.com/about/>.

I found literary journals both helpful and intimidating in my research

process. It is incredible how many different authors and styles are out

there and are beautiful as well as well received in the world of literature. I

enjoyed reading Eunoia Review because it is a WordPress site which

takes contributions from a number of writers of various ages, stages of

education, location, etc… I got to read several wonderful short stories and

poems the most recent of which is a series of sonnets by poet John

Lowther. Lowther uses an analytical database to find averages of words,

syllables, and characters in Shakespeare’s sonnets. These averages then

dictate his own poems. Reading authors like this helps me to appreciate

the various ways writers approach their craft. The amount of thought and

analytics that go into this series of poems and other series of work are

challenges as a writer. Challenges to look at things in new and creative

ways helping/ forcing you to create under new parameters with new

inspiration.

Emerge Literary Journal. ELJ Publications LLC, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.

<http://emergeliteraryjournal.com/>.

Emerge is another Literary Journal I found using the list Dr. Woolfitt gave

us to help us find sites we could submit our work to. I found the most

recent edition highly helpful/ inspirational as it included several samples of

gorgeous flash fiction and poetry. I am always drawn to imagery so of

course I noticed all of the authors’ gorgeous imagery first in many of these

poems and stories but I also noticed the organization of themes and even

words as I read which I find myself noticing more as I read current flash

fiction authors.

Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse FIve. New York: Dell Publishing, 1963.

Print.

Vonnegut is a giant of contemporary literature, as are so many of the

fabulous authors I have read this semester in Contemporary Literature.

Reading his work, among these others has proven invaluable in creating a

context for the modern writer of any level. We are told frequently as

students of English and Literature to be aware of the conversation and

reading/loving one of Vonnegutt’s well known works proved an invaluable

experience.

I fell in love with this book as soon as I started reading it, which is

surprising because I’m not the biggest fan of contemporary literature and

the style of writing I tend to enjoy most is highly different from Vonnegut’s

cutting edge style. Every one of Vonnegut’s sentences is just that- cutting.

He is so precise and decisive with the way he tells his story. The

straightforwardness of his style juxtaposed with the fantastical/ slightly

ridiculous components of this story are incredible.

Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: Vintage Books, n.d. Print.

`Morrison is another author I highly enjoyed reading. Morrison, a Pulitzer

prize winning novelist is known for incorporating highly complex themes

and societal issues into her beautifully imagined stories. These issues

include race, loss, grief, religion, and more. Even in the names of her

characters, Milkman Dead, Pilate, Hagar, First Corinthians pack a symbolic

punch automatically asking the reader to investigate Solomon, her

characters and that which they are to represent.

Morrison’s representation of Biblical themes in her text coupled with

cultural motifs of the time presents a unique commentary on the issues of

race and racial tensions. One of the most interesting things about

Morrison’s text is the fact her African- American characters are set in the

north and are dealing with racial violence and tensions in the South from

far away. Economic tension, guilt, and the need for revenge drive many of

the secondary character allowing Milkman to look in from the outside and

make his own decisions about race and self.

One of the things I love most about Morrison’s writing is the sheer volume

of symbolism. I feel as if you could spend years investigating Morrison’s

novels, peeling off layer after layer and learning something new every time.

Morrison’s writing helps me to remember to always leave something below

the surface of your writing. Allow for some things to be found.

May, Lori A. The Write Crowd. New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2015.

Print.

The Write Crowd is a sort of guide to literary citizenship as well as life

within the writing culture. Writing, by nature a solitary venture is spoken of

a new light in May’s book. The importance of literary citizenship has grown

along with the writing world. May emphasizes the need to accept other

writers’ feedback as well as giving to other writers because it is precisely

this cycle which helps writers keep writing.

I have always appreciated understanding how cultures and subcultures

function- so I especially appreciated May’s glimpse in literary and writing

culture both inside and outside of academia, I also got a taste of this after

our in class Skype interviews with poets and writers working both inside

and outside academia. This glimpse helps me as well as other writers

prepare for what the writing world looks like and how we must be prepared

to contribute.

Katchum, Andrew M. Ghost Gear. N.p.: University of Arkansas Press,

2014. Print.

Ghost Gear is a volume of poetry by poet Andrew McFayden Ketchum

published in Arkansas Press. His poems have appeared in journal like

“The Southern Poetry Anthology, Glimmer Train, and American Literary

Review. Ghost Gear is also a Forward Reviews’ INDIEFAB Book of the

Year Award Finalist as well as a 2014 finalist for the Miller William Prize.

McFayden’s volume has been deemed “ not simply a literary performance,

but a tender alertness to the world.”

Katchum’s poems are an almost mythical glimpse into childhood and how

a child’s minds can receive stories. Katchum’s work centers largely around

the stories his father would tell him as a child when getting away from their

urban home and taking a look at the surrounding countryside and

geographical locations. These are the tensions which make Katchum’s

work so interesting and tenuous. Katchum doesn’t parse words as he

explores issues of sexuality as a young boy, father son relationships, and

belonging to a rather offbeat community.

Reading all sorts of authors and discipline is invaluable in constructing a

project like this. Writers like Katchum, modern writers who are currently

paying a large part in the writing and teaching community play a large

inspirational and helpful role in the lives of young writers. Kacthum’s tone

and poetic sound helped to read his poems carefully with an eye toward

poetic “music”. Sound is important to me as a writer so reading Katchum’s

work wit h an eye for poetic music -verbal and mental was truly helpful.

Shepard, Sam. Burid Child. New York: Vintage Books, 1997. Print. Buried

Child is A Pulitzer prize winning dram written by well known playwright an

actor Same Shepard. Shepard wrote a number of award winning plays,

including several OBIE’s as well as an academy award for Best Supporting

Actor. Shepard is a brilliant creative mind who has woven many pertinant

themes into his dramas.

Buried Child is a drama displaying many important themes including

disillusionment with the American Dream, the economic downturn in the

1970’s and well as the breakdown of traditional values. I have always

found it interesting is said young writers are those most prone to make

their characters and stories more autobiographical yet Shepard incurs

several element from his own past and family life throughout his works.

Buried Child is s interesting because it addresses the rural nature of the

economy trouble of the seventies. Shepard grew up around farms and

ranches throughout his teen and early twenties so it would only make

sense he would have dramatic insight into the breakdown of family in the

rural places where family values are to mean the most.

Reading a variety of genres proves very helpful in the writing process. One

of the challenges of drams is in the necessity of powerful dialogue as well

as attention to setting and dramaturgy. It is helpful for a writer to keep

these ideas in mind even though they may seem restricted to drama.

Remembering setting is its own character and including setting details

large and small can create stronger environments for writer which helped

me in my short story writing this semester.

Gilead Amrylnne Robinson

Marilynn Robins is the author of the Pulitzer prize winning novel Gilead.

Gilead, a tow in Iowa, is the setting for the fictional autobiography featuring

John Ames, a pastor writing s sort of extended a letter to his seven year

old son. Knowing he won’t have long to know his son the letter is a sort of

spiritual diary/ book of advice for the boy which addresses generational sin

and the importance of family as well as its dark sides.

Gilead’s remarkable, poetic language is awe inspiring in its honesty

regarding so many traditions in the puritan denomination ss well as he

Puritan family. One of Robinson’s most important inspiration were John

Calvin’s original texts. Gilead is not simply a beautiful novel but a

commentary on American frustration with puritanism. Robinson herself

states, "that one of the things that has happened in American Cultural History is

that John Calvin has been very much misrepresented. As a consequence of that,

the parts of American Culture that he influenced are very much misrepresented."

Gilead, the town name for the hill of redemption as well as Robinson’s novels is a

novel about reeducating people about Puritan culture whos members are

redeemed but every bit as human as anyone else.

One of the most important lessons I have learned from Robinson and writers like

her is that writing ,especially Christian written is there to accomplish more. It is

about representing something greater than ourselves and I hope as I grow as a

writer I can portray things which mean most to me as beautifully as writers like

Robinson.

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