Date of Award

Summer 2021

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Department

English Language and Literatures

First Advisor

Nikky Finney

Abstract

This World Has Not Killed Us Yet is a collection of poems that engage with notions of imminent/inherent death as faced by the former slaves and their descendants within the United States, particularly in the U.S. South. These poems build from utilizing concepts of Judeo-Christian creation mythology to craft an alternate mythology for those who populate the poems. The collection also gives credence to the impact of gospel, blues, and jazz music on the temperament and adaptability of African Americans, as well as the role of community in fashioning a life worth living in the face of accelerated death. Together, the collection desires to look at the impact of struggle and progress on the lived experience of African Americans, as well as examine the inventive means through which memory functions as a catalyst to encourage life beyond such notions of death.

Rights

© 2021, Marcus Jamison

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