Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

Spring 4-21-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

April 2026

Department

English

College Granting Degree

Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters

Department Granting Degree

English

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Jason Schwartz

Abstract

The Place We Live Which Does Not Exist is a collection of stories examining the intersection of trauma and catharsis through a psychologically manufactured underground environment. By inhabiting the perspectives of multiple characters, each story builds toward a collective reality that exists parallel to our present. As the shortsightedness of hedonistic expression is shown, the viability of escapism as panacea is questioned, exploring the ends of a society increasingly dependent on reclusive tendencies.

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