Date of Award

6-2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Department

English

First Reader/Committee Chair

Juan Delgado

Abstract

The title of my manuscript, Americhicano¸ is a play on the words American,Americana, and Chicano. It was my goal to write poems that would capture the shared experiences of Chicanos, Latin Americans and the vast people group we identify as “American.”

In the first part of my Statement of Purpose, I go into the politics and social commentary of why I chose this as the focus of my project. “Why I Write” is a continuation of that conversation, but more focused on my own personal experience and journey as a writer. In the Section titled, “On Narrative Poetry” I explore the tradition of narrative in poetry and culture and how the two come together within my own poetry. “Uncertainty and Possibility” talks about the duality of creation and the writer. Do we view the unknown as something scary or as an opportunity to be seized? “On Experimental Form: Erasures and the Avante-Garde” discusses the tension of pushing the boundaries as an artist while negotiating cultural tradition.

The last section titled, “Imitation and True Voice” discusses the ways in which a writer grows and continues to grow. The idea here is that we do not have a “true” or “authentic” voice, but rather that we are the culmination of voices and identities that are constantly in flux. This last idea is an echo of all the other sections, and hopefully one that will resonate throughout my growth as a writer and as a person.

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