Straining Buckthorn: A Novella

Abstract

This Fiction MFA Thesis is a book-length magical realist polyphonic story told through three central characters who are contending with communal ties in the face of troubles that affect their town. Set in a fictional town, Credence, in Ohio, 1971, the three main characters are called to participate in community despite their grievances in the face of environmental degradation. The central conflict coalesces around an ill-managed oil refinery that pollutes the farming waterways. The characters are called upon to contend with ideas of progress as it applies to themselves and the people around them and are challenged to show up for each other when necessary. The history of the town is contextualized by a beastly House that prompts and informs the main characters’ actions in present time.