Shouting Distance
Author ORCID Identifier
Date Available
5-4-2019
Year of Publication
2017
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Document Type
Master's Thesis
College
Arts and Sciences
Department/School/Program
English
First Advisor
Hannah Pittard
Abstract
Shouting Distance is a collection of ten short stories written by Gary Thomas Smith. Most of the stories take place in Appalachia and rural Kentucky, and the stories set outside of the region still feature characters whose identities are intricately bound to it. The characters' relationships to Appalachia are complex as some embrace the mountains and their culture, while others feel oppressed by that environment. The stories are driven by characters' relationships with family and friends, with their futures and their pasts, or with cultural expectations. The collection explores themes such as poverty, violence, substance abuse, and loss. The natural world is pervasive throughout these stories, and many of them illustrate the effects of human interaction with the environment. While the seeming decline of rural life is at the foreground of this collection, it does not dismiss the beauty of this life. Rather, it suggests that there is promise for the future in spite of loss, hate, and fear.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/ETD.2017.157
Recommended Citation
Smith, Gary T., "Shouting Distance" (2017). Theses and Dissertations--English. 54.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/english_etds/54
