Date of Award
Fall 12-2023
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School
Humanities
Committee Chair
Dr. Adam Clay
Committee Chair School
Humanities
Committee Member 2
Dr. Angela Ball
Committee Member 2 School
Humanities
Committee Member 3
Dr. Emily B. Stanback
Committee Member 3 School
Humanities
Committee Member 4
Dr. Ery Shin
Committee Member 4 School
Humanities
Committee Member 5
Dr. Luis Iglesias
Committee Member 5 School
Humanities
Abstract
The poems collected in West of Water embody something I call “evocative tacticity.” The tacticity I construct in my poetry centers queer poetics within the body, not apart from it. In these poems, I move beyond mere touch to make scent, memory, and taste material constructs. In these poems, I craft a sort of multi-sensory, multi-faceted sensuousness, one that brings together taste, touch, and smell to transform the everyday. As queer bodies, we often find ourselves on the outside looking in. The language of these poems seeks to embody this liminal space.
Copyright
@Tommy Allen Thomas
Recommended Citation
Thomas, Tommy, "West of Water" (2023). Dissertations. 2200.
https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/2200