Monster Talk

Abstract

The child perspectives in "Monster Talk," "High Stakes on the Mississippi Racino," and "Where the Weird Comes From" are narrated through either the close third or first person point of view. These children encounter terribly real events that are beyond their full comprehension and thus narrated through a fantastical lens in an attempt to explain their experiences with adult mental illness, fundamentalism, and addiction. "A Sad Day at the Glitter Factory," "Worldsick in the Animal Garden," and "The Company We Keep" focus on how characters are affected by, and interact with, their settings. These pieces explore the narratives that result from direct encounters with their surrounding environment. Situations such as economic depression, homelessness, and large disasters caused by human error occur within these settings. The telling is the characters' innate response to their existence that is inevitably influenced by these worlds and it is how they compose personal identity and significance.