| Description |
Creative writing communicates social experiences, worlds, and histories from one source to another. As stories are interconnected with the storyteller, the fictions often told are intertwined with identity politics and are more deeply understood through the socio-political context in which the author or the teller is situated. This is specifically true for writers of mixed race who identify as being Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and/or within the broad categories of "people of color" (BILPOC). It is a relatively recent endeavor to examine mixed-race politics and their phenomenologies within our imagined worlds of fiction and literature. Moreover, it is important to re-insert the BILPOC and mixed-race experience of the author into discussions about poetry and creative writing and what these mediums can offer to individuals in the marginal intersections of identity. In this thesis, my objective is to delve into the intricacies of mixed-race identity politics and phenomenologies. First, I examine the racial hybrid depicted in Paul Scott's The Jewel in the Crown and Gloria Anzaldúa's Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, as these works significantly influence my creative writing endeavors. I argue that Anzaldúa's borderlands can exemplify the realities of mixed-race politics as presented in The Jewel in the Crown as well as offer the exploration of writing as resilience and healing for mixed raced individuals even in the face of physical, emotional, and political traumas. Lastly, I have included creative writing drafts of "The Poems from the House," which is a collection of poems. The genesis of the creation can be traced back to Professor Audrey Bauman's creative writing course and workshop, which served as a profound source of inspiration for the poems derived from the house. As someone of mixed race, I delve into the complexities of navigating racial identity within predominantly white environments through creative expression, particularly in the form of the "long poem." Through this artistic endeavor, I aim to illuminate the significance of personal experiences and narratives, showcasing the interconnectedness between the author's lived realities and their literary creations. |
