Author Date

2023-07-18

Degree Name

Department

English

College

Humanities

Defense Date

2023-07-18

Publication Date

2023-08-03

First Faculty Advisor

Julie Allen

First Faculty Reader

Cheri Pray Earl

Honors Coordinator

Aaron Eastley

Keywords

Creative Writing, Literature, Americana

Abstract

Songs on the Road: A Novel reimagines the open road of mid-century American literature, a literary phenomenon that frequently imbued the mundane with a power bordering on the fantastic, as literally fantastic in a way that examines and deconstructs literary tropes from the mysterious hitchhiker to the film noir detective. This thesis includes excerpts from the novel and a critical introduction exploring the works of literature the novel draws from and engages in dialogue with.