Year of Award
2016
Document Type
Professional Paper - Campus Access Only
Degree Type
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Degree Name
Creative Writing (Fiction)
Department or School/College
Department of English
Committee Chair
Debra Magpie Earling
Commitee Members
Deirdre McNamer, Hiltrudis Arens
Keywords
MFA, Fiction, Lauren Ward, Short Story Collection
Publisher
University of Montana
Subject Categories
Creative Writing
Abstract
My short story collection, Progressions, consists of six short stories that explore the complexities and inadequacies of human relationships. “Q & A” follows a newly married couple who enter contests for a living and win the opportunity to compete on the Newlywed Game Show, and “Kill Buyer” chronicles the failing relationship between a father and his daughter, who has stopped talking after her parents’ divorce. “Festival” is the story of two best friends, who sneak into a music festival after one of the girls attempts suicide, and “Slopes” is about a new stepfather attempting to forge a relationship with his stepdaughter over the course of a weekend ski trip with her and his boss. “Decay” is told from the perspective of Maria, who becomes fascinated with the items in her basement, mementos from her husband’s work as a forensic entomologist, and “Received” chronicles a young woman’s trip home to meet her eccentric mother with her hyper-pragmatic, pilot boyfriend.
Recommended Citation
Ward, Lauren D., "Progressions" (2016). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 10874.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/10874
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© Copyright 2016 Lauren D. Ward