Stubborn Work is a collection of poems about definition and uncertainty. The poems herein probe the concept of a continuous self in the face of an ever-shifting landscape. In this work foundations of self-identity, family identity, gender, home, place, and (at the hands of a psychological disorder) even reality itself are shaken and called into question. Over and over, in lieu of every new shift, the poet attempts to re-write themselves—to ask, continually, what it means to move forward after each new shift, and remark on how the past always follows closely behind, directing the course. Investigating the relationships between self and space, self and personal history, self and desire, Stubborn Work illuminates the ways in which a “sense of self” is always changing, moment by precarious moment, and that it is harrowing, actualizing, and inevitable that we are to be forever in search of it.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, English Dept., 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Greifswald. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

This group of poems spans the life of the author. The three sections of the book address each part of the title: the visceral and sensory memories of a child; the physical passions and romantic visions of a young to pre-menopausal woman; and finally the reflective wisdom that comes with age. “Madonnas,” speaks to the fairy tale that is childhood, both the dream and the nightmare aspects. Through the senses and the acquisition of language, these poems speak to the innocence and trust of a child before knowledge and experience show her otherwise. “Whores,” speaks to the material American dream of wealth, sex, motherhood and heartbreak. “Other Pilgrims,” is a reflection of what has been lived, expressed in a manner that comes with time and contemplation. Themes include travel, menopause, religion, and philosophy. MADONNAS, WHORES AND OTHER PILGRIMS casts the experience of the feminine, challenging the madonna/whore dichotomy.

RUBBLE & HONEY is a collection of poems unified by its use of language driven lyricism to recount personal narratives in the life of the poet. The poems in this manuscript depict the landscapes of California, Florida, Mississippi, the South Downs of England, and Anglesey off the northwest coast of Wales. The manuscript engages with these physical spaces, how the speaker reacts to the natural world and how these locations can reflect the internal. The collection is broken into four sections: the first two explore parting, firstly from a relationship and then revisiting the poet’s childhood landscape of Sussex, England; the third is a rebirth of sorts after the exploration of these losses, a joyous look at the world that is tentative but hopeful; and the fourth section revisits the themes of the first from a more distanced perspective.

ABSTRACT OF SIMULTONALITY May 2018 JOHN GOODHUE, B.A., WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY M.F.A., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Dara Wier OF SIMULTONALITY is a collection of poetry.

A collection of poems.

The following is a collection of poems.

This work seeks to expose the truth in as many different forms as possible. As the title, Tiny Supernovas, suggests, it is influenced by the concept of the explosions of super-massive stars. This explosion is known as a supernova. It is only through a supernova, only through the death and subsequent explosion of one of the largest sequence of stars, that we obtain many of the elements necessary for life here on earth. All heavy metals come from supernovas. Everything we and our planet are made from comes from these explosions. Yet, there is a similarly prolific release of energy and materials from each human life. If viewed from the great beyond, on a consistent basis, what seem to be a sort of movie of our individual lives would actually be a stream of light reflecting off our bodies and from the things around us. This light is sent out in all directions; thus, we too are sending signals out, like tiny supernovas. This collection is an insight into the inside of one of those tiny supernovas

IT'S LATE is a collection of poetry.