Theses and Dissertations

Sick and Dumb and Other Poems

Date of Award

5-1-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

Creative Writing

First Advisor

Jose Rodriguez

Second Advisor

Emmy Pérez

Third Advisor

Amy Cummins

Abstract

This thesis is a collection of poems that contemplate femininity, childhood, trauma, attachment, mental health, and identity. The speaker, a young woman who functions as a vessel and extension of the author, touches on the experiences in being a daughter, a child of divorce, a person with mental illness, a hopeless romantic, and grief, all through the lens of femininity. The poems include pop culture references such as music and films that allow the speaker to explain herself, by making comparisons to forms of art and her personal influences. Other collections of poems by spoken word poets have impacted the creation of this thesis; collections on mental health, femininity, and identity. This thesis addresses femininity and what it is like to be a young woman growing into adulthood, combatting the hurdles of mental illness and navigating things like love and romance during the process.

Comments

Copyright 2026 Krista Alexia Olivarez. All Rights Reserved. https://proquest.com/docview/3371133303

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