This novel attempts to marry the aesthetics of grit lit with the elements of noir crime-novels and -films. Set against the backdrop of one of our country's first Civil Rights demonstrations—the Biloxi beach wade-in, Easter 1959—this historical fiction dramatizes the protests and subsequent riots. However, it also adds a twist: a plot that reveals that the burning of the historically black part of the city was far more heinous than just racism. In fact, the white supremacists in this novel are also exploited into action by powers greater yet more sinister and silent than their simple, racist hearts could imagine. Loosh, the black community and its leaders, the police department, the New Orleans Mafia, the local government, and HUD all have their own stories here, which are in turn both noble and selfish. Further, they all exist within a much larger plot, and all will eventually be caught up in its web and used beyond their reckoning. And in the end, only Loosh will have the chance to make things right. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of English in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2009. / December 1, 2008. / Mississippi, Civil Rights, Noir, Historica, l Dixie Mafia, Mafia, Crime / Includes bibliographical references. / Robert Olen Butler, Professor Directing Dissertation; Elna Green, Outside Committee Member; David Kirby, Committee Member; Virgil Suarez, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_182491 |
| Contributors | Garriga, Michael Christopher, 1971- (authoraut), Butler, Robert Olen (professor directing dissertation), Green, Elna (outside committee member), Kirby, David (committee member), Suarez, Virgil (committee member), Department of English (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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