Date of Award
Spring 2023
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School
Humanities
Committee Chair
Olivia Clare Friedman
Committee Chair School
Humanities
Committee Member 2
Joshua Bernstein
Committee Member 2 School
Humanities
Committee Member 3
Monika Gehlawat
Committee Member 3 School
Humanities
Committee Member 4
Charles Sumner
Committee Member 4 School
Humanities
Committee Member 5
Ery Shin
Committee Member 5 School
Humanities
Abstract
TWO MOTHERS AND A TARA is a linked short story collection that centers queer joy for characters living in societies where non-heteronormativity is often shunned. The stories use a cast of recurring characters, weaving themes of taboo with magical and speculative elements. The collection pits desi queers against societal taboos such that adult and adolescent characters alike struggle to find love and community in a world not built for them. They use magic and technology to create worlds of their own, through the mix of their intellect, knowledge, and magic. The collection takes inspiration from books like Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties, Akwaeke Emezi’s The Death of Vivek Oji, and Ottessa Moshfegh’s Homesick For Another World in order to make possible for LGBTQ+ people in the backdrop of Indian culture to pursue queer optimism and happiness.
Recommended Citation
Mittal, Apoorva, "Two Mothers and a Tara" (2023). Dissertations. 2092.
https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/2092