AFTERLIGHT
Date
2017-06-15
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Publisher
MFA in Creative Writing, The University of Tampa
Abstract
Afterlight is a modular work which utilizes 17 found artifacts from a collection of many
objects discovered by the author. The author functions as a curator, presenting these
artifacts to the reader. At the core of the work is a mystery: a town which has
disappeared from both records and the physical world. Found items in Afterlight are
presented in their original forms, both to preserve their integrity and to filter out
narrator bias. The curator and reader investigate the artifacts together, piecing together
evidence and making conclusions along the way. Instead of solely reading the book, the
audience is expected to act as a co‑investigator. The premise of Afterlight is an
experiment in presenting a narrative that deviates from traditional structure and
instead is meant to be experienced like an exhibit or case file.
Afterlight is a vehicle to explore motifs of secrecy, finding identity, the pliability
of truth, the terrors of uncertainties and unknowns, coming of age, the illusion of
innocence, and to what extent anything can truly be forgoen. The variety of source
material utilized throughout the book provided ample opportunities to work in
different modes and tones, resulting in a product that more closely resembles reality
than a first‑ or third‑person narrative method.
Most importantly, Afterlight was created as a record of a place with no record; it
no longer exists outside of these pages. Therefore, preserving the memories and events
of that place was a prime motivator in the creation of the book.
Description
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Keywords
Florida, Modular fiction