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Voice of Reason is a collection of short fiction that explores, often from a satirical angle, Millennial-inflected versions of ambition, ego and idealism. The stories are heavily influenced by the precision and subtle humor of Ian McEwan and Richard Yates, by the generosity and formal ingenuity of William Trevor and Alice Munro, and by the tonal experimentation of George Saunders and Miranda July.

Luminous Days is a representation of my artistic vision, literary goals, and social influences. Artistically, I intend to create fiction that is aesthetically appealing. This aesthetic appeal includes the presence of a distinct narrative voice, realistically rendered settings, multidimensional characters, meticulous attention to diction, and sentence construction. The literary goal I hold in the highest regard is the creation of a body of work that demonstrates continued growth in my craft. What I intend to render in my thesis is an accurate portrayal of the effects that drugs on the lives of my characters, and more specifically the relational strains of this disease on my characters. Luminous Days was not intended to be a mere exploration of drug addiction through the eyes of an addict, but an examination also, of the effects of people addicted to drug profits. Throughout this thesis I hope readers will glean insights into a culture this is at once marginalized, exploited, glorified, and criticized. Artistically I hoped to create a story that is universally appealing by ascribing my characters problems and issues that are common to the human experience. I feel specificity in character depiction was a major component of that goal. I hoped to humanize my characters by ascribing them distinct desires, hopes, fears, and triumphs. In reading this thesis I want writers to realize one important thing: My work on this story is far from complete. This is a first draft of an almost completed manuscript. Read this work knowing that there are many drafts to come in terms of the evolution of my story.

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The stories collected within this thesis are, by and large, tales of loss. To be more specific, the following losses occur: one brother, two lovers, a doting former sister-in-law, one's own health, certain freedoms, (including a room with a view,) life itself (twice,) and innocence, forever gone in an absent-minded moment of brutality. Chronology is toyed with somewhat, more so towards the beginning of this collection, less so towards the end. The opening story, "Three Kitchens," is comparatively unique in that it is the sole work written in the first person. While it fits thematically within the larger whole, it has been placed at the beginning based on this one difference. "Birdsong," a tale of regret centered on not leaving when it is prudent to do so, is the next story. The remaining four stories can be thought of as a pair of twins; "Candelabrum," and "The Becoming of Felix Wagner," both occur in 1961 East Berlin, during the construction of the Berlin Wall, (and are more closely entwined than are the last two stories.) "Hernandez," and "Hank Flowers," occur within the span of a few days in mid-1980's rural Pennsylvania, though are only bound together by the thinnest of threads.

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