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Spilling My Heart Out for You

Krista S Ferguson, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Abstract

This collection of fiction and creative nonfiction explores the ways in which relationships are formed and broken. Many of the stories feature characters dealing with disillusionment, such as a Mennonite girl whose faith is destroyed by a family member, or a woman whose obsessions lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy of betrayal. The bond between two friends in college loosens when one feels a stronger pull toward her first serious romantic relationship. Some are driven by anxiety over missing out on life’s chances and opportunities, such as a woman who is consumed by jealousy when she runs into her ex-lover’s wife, who is pregnant. Others are limited in their ability to communicate and become entangled in absurdity, such as a man and woman on a first date who end up at a support group meeting. Some must cross boundaries to satisfy their need for human connection, such as a man consumed by an obscure fetish, and a woman whose attempts to find love on the Internet result in a less than ideal outcome. Yet other characters experience moments of transcendence through connections with strangers, such as one heartbroken woman who begins to heal in the presence of a man who is mute and deaf. The final piece, an essay, depicts a father who travels across the country to visit his daughter, unannounced. Behind each of these narratives are characters driven by the necessity to love and be loved. ^

Subject Area

Women's Studies|Literature, American|Gender Studies

Recommended Citation

Ferguson, Krista S, "Spilling My Heart Out for You" (2013). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI3594577.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI3594577

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