Master of Fine Arts, Miami University, 2023, English

1001 Nights Preparing to Die: Meditations in Song and Verse is a memoir in short essays that explores the transformative power of music, spirituality, and the indomitable human spirit. Born with a congenital heart condition obscured by the courts during her adoption, the author's life is marked by countless medical procedures, hospital visits, and the constant shadow of mortality. The author navigates the intricate worlds of chronic illness, adoption, substance misuse, and mental health while discovering the profound healing potential of Kirtan chanting—a form of devotional music originating from the ancient traditions of her husband's home country of India. Through personal anecdotes, introspection, and HinDruid spiritual practices, the memoir explores how the author's engagement with Kirtan becomes a lifeline that reconnects her to her body and provides solace, hope, and acceptance of her mortality. Shedding light on the broader significance of meditative practices in the context of chronic illness and the human experience—and providing a platform for raising awareness and fostering empathy—this work offers compassionate and insightful perspectives on the challenges faced by individuals who are adopted, who live with congenital heart disease, and who live with and love family members with substance misuse disorders.

Committee: TaraShea Nesbitt (Committee Chair); Joseph Bates (Committee Member); Diasy Hernandez (Committee Member) Subjects: Divinity; Earth; Environmental Philosophy; Families and Family Life; Fine Arts; Health; Health Care; Language Arts; Mental Health; Modern Literature; Music; Personal Relationships; Philosophy; Religion; Spirituality; Surgery

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2019, English

A collection consisting of eight short stories and a novella submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Fine Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University. Situated at the intersection of fantasy and reality, these works explore the power of myth and the everyday fictions that define us.

Committee: Nick White PhD (Advisor); Angus Fletcher PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Literature

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2007, American Culture Studies/Sociology

What is a Witch? Traditional mainstream media images of Witches tell us they are evil “devil worshipping baby killers,” green-skinned hags who fly on brooms, or flaky tree huggers who dance naked in the woods. A variety of mainstream media has worked to support these notions as well as develop new ones. Contemporary American popular culture shows us images of Witches on television shows and in films vanquishing demons, traveling back and forth in time and from one reality to another, speaking with dead relatives, and attending private schools, among other things. None of these mainstream images acknowledge the very real beliefs and traditions of modern Witches and Pagans, or speak to the depth and variety of social, cultural, political, and environmental work being undertaken by Pagan and Wiccan groups and individuals around the world. Utilizing social construction theory, this study examines the “historical process” of the construction of stereotypes surrounding Witches in mainstream American society as well as how groups and individuals who call themselves Pagan and/or Wiccan have utilized the only media technology available to them, the internet, to resist and re-construct these images in order to present more positive images of themselves as well as build community between and among Pagans and nonPagans.

Committee: Angela Nelson (Advisor) Subjects: