Date of Award
5-2026
Degree Type
Masters Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
School
Humanities
Committee Chair
Joshua Bernstein
Committee Chair School
Humanities
Committee Member 2
Angela Ball
Committee Member 2 School
Humanities
Committee Member 3
Emily Stanback
Committee Member 3 School
Humanities
Abstract
Kaleidoscope is a creative nonfiction thesis comprised of five chapters, each of which considers the relationship of scent to the writer-speaker's mental health. Grounded in olfactive language, the thesis’s scent obsession is a gateway to many other themes: fragmentation, digital addiction, and mental health crises.
Accompanying the thesis is a short critical introduction that explores the relationship between scent, pain, and futurity in my work. I argue that sensory stimulation can allow us to imagine alternate universes that bring pleasure into pain. I also look at scent as an obsession that leads to vibrant language, putting my work in conversation with three major influences: Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Annie Dillard, and Leslie Feinberg.
Copyright
Maeve C. Rigney, 2026
Recommended Citation
Rigney, Maeve C., "Kaleidoscope" (2026). Master's Theses. 1184.
https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/1184