This novel is the first-person narrative of an underachieving twenty-eight-year-old journalist who convinces himself that he can find fulfillment by climbing the Matterhorn, a dream he once shared with his older, idolized brother, who died before they could achieve it. Forsaking a marriage-minded girlfriend and fledgling sports reporting career in California, Stanley "Rabbit” Goodman decides to sell or abandon everything he owns that can't fit into a backpack, head to Europe, find his brother's former climbing partner and scale the mountain, or die trying. By blending humor with mysticism and action with introspection, Rabbit's entertaining tale poignantly transcends his personal experiences to illustrate the universal human conflicts that arise when one attempts to turn a dream into reality.

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In 7 composite stories--shifting from the roads of Southern Colorado neighborhoods, the fields and unpaved roads of Northern New Mexico, and the streets of Culver City, California--Penitence follows Relles Ortiz and the bleak peripheral existence of the voiceless suburban people living in disorder and disorientation within the harshness of their common American surroundings and circumstances. Relles' story is told in a fragmented and laconic style as Relles explores the flashes of his violent past, his severed relationships as well as confronting his stubborn addictive personality. In "Blues Skies Under Culver City," Relles recounts his troubled marriage and relationship with his daughter after years lost in the Army serving in Macedonia. In "Return to Cacaville" we learn that Relles' problems are perhaps greater than himself as they seem to be patterned by his familial tree. "Backyard Marriage" recounts the marriage of Relles' mother and father from the perspective of his Uncle Lolo and the neighborhood priest, Father Dwyer. In "Hamburgers in Macedonia," Relles recounts the main source of his inner demons--a tragic tour through Bosnia and Northern Macedonia. "Penance" and "Laundromat Story" both beg the question: are individuals 'fucked up' or are they simply 'fuck-ups.' In the "Highland," Relles learns that his actions and decisions perhaps can rise above his weighted thoughts and relentless memories. Overall, these stories mark this author's journey from honest journaling to honest story-telling and crafting of fiction. / Graduation date: 2004

A young American woman goes to China looking for quiet and respite from campus activism but finds herself drawn into a love triangle with two Chinese dissidents. Through these relationships she becomes involved in the explosive demonstrations at Tiananmen Square and her life will never be the same.

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A collection of short stories.

Poetry manuscript

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This project explored my parents' stories in an effort to better understand why participating in music, exploring the outdoors, and empathizing with the human condition is integral to who I am. Using specifically selected questions, I interviewed each parent individually to hear their recollections of certain pursuits and passions in their lives. A digital recording device recorded these sessions. In addition to collecting stories from my parents, I tried to capture their energy through photographs, either in their current stage of life or at times discussed in the interviews. Life is truly reflected through the telling and retelling of stories. In the process of hearing their stories and perhaps sharing mine, I found connections and understandings. The three topics explored in this project were not clearly dominant in my family culture. Hearing the stories of my parents' formative years allowed me to better understand how they shaped and nurtured my interests in adulthood. In addition to gaining more insight into my personal growth in certain areas, I was able to understand the experiences that shaped the interests of others, specifically my parents.

Debris: stories, focuses on families and people who are outsiders in a small town in the south. A flood happens and washes the town away along with many of the character's dreams and homes and love.