Time Sculpture: The Poetics of Memory and Identity

Time Sculpture: The Poetics of Memory and Identity is a multi-genre collection of essays and short stories experimenting with form and mnemonic association. The themes that I explore in this thesis intersect and echo, in the manner of memory, through topics like economic inequality, neo-corporatism, substance abuse, mortality, and the nuances of interpersonal bonds. Fiction and creative nonfiction forms together create a subtextual and intertextual discussion about the nature of not only these complex themes but likewise inform my focused experimentation via borrowed but thematically related forms such as Comics and cocktail recipes. This experimentation further enriches the multi-genre and intertextual conversation through sites of action--and in characters related to--the service industry. By blending genre and method, this thesis aims to illustrate the intricate, intuitive, and interrelated faculties of memory, the very manner in which I make sense of and choose to express my identity and my existence through art.