Date of Award
5-2025
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.F.A.
Degree Program
Creative Writing
Department
Fine Arts
Major Professor
Joanna Leake
Second Advisor
Neal Walsh
Third Advisor
Juyanne James
Abstract
This thesis is a collection of two interlinked narratives that take place in the small town of Merloy, Tennessee, a fictionalized version of my hometown Byrdstown and its surrounding areas. A traveling musician wanders into Merloy in “The Ballad of Eddy Cage” which leaves a lasting impact on a young groundskeeper named Cal Norman as he figures out the culprit behind the vandalization of a local park. In “Terrestrial,” Kip Dillard uncovers the secret behind a supposed UFO sighting while also dealing with the overlap of his person and professional lives. The mysteries in this collection are both external and internal.
Recommended Citation
Cross, Austin, "Merloy: Stories" (2025). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 3246.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/3246
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.