Committee Chair

Einstein, Sarah

Committee Member

Arnett, James; Baker, Sybil

Department

Dept. of English

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

After receiving my adoption file from Hawaii, discovering my ethnic DNA, and finding biological family located on the islands of the South Pacific, I knew I had to document my experience. The process I used to create my collection combined conversations with relatives, and research of Pacific Island culture. During my research I found that many people in the southern region of the United States, were unfamiliar with Samoan culture. I hope my work will expand the field of creative writing by connecting readers to culture, and the adoptee experience, and to encourage readers to discover and feed their own curiosities about identity. My collection is a journey about who I thought I was, the scientific discovery of who I am, and how I have become part of a family I never knew existed. My goal is to complete 13 essays and submit them for publishing.

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Sarah Einstein, the chair of my committee for introducing me to the world of Creative Nonfiction and guiding me through its magnificence. I would also like to thank my committee member Sybil Baker for her inspiration and insight to the intricate architecture of story development and her continual positive support. Finally, for my committee member Dr. James Arnett, I would like to give my most heartfelt appreciation for his encouragement and guidance in my writing, and for always pushing me to expand my mind and dig deeper.

Degree

M. A.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts.

Date

8-2020

Subject

Adoption in literature; Creative nonfiction; Group identity; Lyric poetry

Location

Samoan Islands

Keyword

Creative nonfiction; Lyric essays; Adoption; Samoan; Pacific Islander; Identity

Document Type

Masters theses

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

vii, 112 leaves

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Date Available

8-31-2023

Download

Share

COinS