{"id":10743,"date":"2025-05-07T20:28:44","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T20:28:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/the-words\/?page_id=10743"},"modified":"2025-05-07T20:28:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T20:28:44","slug":"spring-capstones-creative-and-critical-works-from-the-departments-finest","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/the-words\/home-2\/the-words-may-2025\/spring-capstones-creative-and-critical-works-from-the-departments-finest\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring Capstones: Creative and Critical Works from the Department’s Finest"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Peyton Williamson ’27 and Daniel Graham ’26<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s senior English Capstone presentations showcased the stunning range and depth of the department\u2019s creative and critical work. Spanning three evenings, students shared their projects that explored themes that ranged everything from identity, grief, love, memory, rebellion, language, and healing\u2014often through genre-defying forms. From novels and screenplays to poetry collections and academic essays, these Capstones reflect not only the individual voices of their author but also the intellectual curiosity, emotional resonance, and interdisciplinary thinking that characterize the department as a whole. Below are some brief summaries of each presentation given.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Night 1:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Capstone<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kaliana<\/figure>
\n

Kaliana Andriamananjara \u2013 Fire & Ice
<\/em><\/strong>A speculative novel exploring identity, trauma, and rebellion in a world where people with superpowers are oppressed; the protagonist grapples with the murky line between justice and control.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Alma Angantyr \u2013 Stairwell to Heaven
<\/em><\/strong>A tender love story between two queer Mormon missionaries, this piece challenges the tension between faith and sexuality and offers a joyful fictional resolution for those in similar real-life situations.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Alma<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ivory<\/figure>
\n

Ivory Dove \u2013 A Night at Camp Eurydice
<\/em><\/strong>Originally a play, this darkly imaginative story follows six girls trapped in a warped version of their summer camp, using horror and myth as a metaphor for the pain of adolescence.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Brian Maddox \u2013 In the Event I\u2019m Dead
<\/em><\/strong>A reflective work of creative nonfiction seeking to understand the ego, love, and human condition, written as a tribute to those who have shown the author love.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Brian<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Claire<\/figure>
\n

Claire Marko \u2013 Between the Earth and the Sky
<\/em><\/strong>A character-driven narrative following Ruthie, a reclusive young woman who must confront her anxieties and her past during a road trip from Nebraska to Chicago.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Nicolas Matrajt \u2013 Into the Cave or Out of the Bush, or Was It the Other Way Around?
<\/em><\/strong>This genre-blending romance and survival story plays with tropes to create a chaotic, fast-paced adventure with the primary goal of delighting the audience.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Nicholas<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lauren<\/figure>
\n

Lauren Petro \u2013 A Life for Death
<\/em><\/strong>A midwestern urban fantasy about a grief-stricken god of death who forms a new bond with a mortal woman, exploring themes of identity, secrecy, and human connection.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Nina Rogers \u2013 Refracted Reflections
<\/em><\/strong>A collection of essays on biracial identity, blending memoir with speculative narrative by allowing different versions of the self to exist and interact across time.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Nina<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Geneve<\/figure>
\n

Geneve Thomas-Palmer \u2013 The Glancing Blow
<\/em><\/strong>This screenplay reimagines trauma and healing through the story of two women who travel back in time to meet their teenage selves, balancing realism with narrative triumph.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Night 2:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Capstone<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Leyden<\/figure>
\n

Leyden Streed \u2013 \u00a1La Virgen!
<\/em><\/strong>A comedic coming-of-age screenplay about a Catholic girl in St. Paul who secretly writes fairy smut as a way of navigating her sexuality and religious identity.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Leah Wasson \u2013 Warrior, Woman, Witch
<\/em><\/strong>A critical analysis of Queen Margaret in Shakespeare\u2019s histories, framing her as a disabled character who subverts power structures through her otherness and resilience.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Leah<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sofia<\/figure>
\n

Sofia Doroshenko \u2013 The Final Tournament
<\/em><\/strong>Set in a futuristic caste society built on genetic modification, this sci-fi narrative follows an unmodified girl fighting to prove her worth among the enhanced elite.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Night 3:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

Lucy McNees \u2013 Deposition
<\/em><\/strong>A lyrical poetry collection centered on sincerity in language, drawing from the poet\u2019s personal experiences with family, romance, and self-relationship.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Lucy<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ahlaam<\/figure>
\n

Ahlaam Abdulwali \u2013 Canopy
<\/em><\/strong>Poems exploring matrilineage, grief, and language loss, including erasure poetry based on interviews with Somali refugees to reclaim silenced voices.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Nolan Manz \u2013 AMERICAN HIGHWAY
<\/em><\/strong>A poetic exploration of home, indigeneity, and generational trauma, weaving the imagery of highways with the lived experience of a Cherokee citizen.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Nolan<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Veronica<\/figure>
\n

Veronica Kruschel \u2013 Mouthful
<\/em><\/strong>Chronologically structured poems about self-discovery and chosen family, using nature and baking as metaphors for love and independence.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Katie Kong \u2013 Silence on El Dorado
<\/em><\/strong>A meditative poetry collection navigating grief, migration, and colonial mythology, with silence and displacement as central motifs.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Katie<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kai<\/figure>
\n

Kai Apollo Illig \u2013 Necronyms
<\/em><\/strong>A thematically structured manuscript of poems on childhood, transness, and grief, using the metaphor of inherited names and insect life to examine transformation and loss.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Leila Fulghum \u2013 Sedimentary Memory
<\/em><\/strong>Blending paleontology and poetry, this collection reflects on memory, loss, and the body as an archive, including the performance of a \u201csong poem.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Leila<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Zeam<\/figure>
\n

Zeam Porter \u2013 Gaia Willing
<\/em><\/strong>A spiritual and personal exploration of Black Native identity, using poetry to meditate on cultural legacy, haunting, and healing.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Katie Abramson Newman \u2013 The Stones in a Monument
<\/em><\/strong>This collection investigates perfectionism, ADHD, and poetic identity through seasonal cycles, self-doubt, and the tension between control and acceptance.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Katie<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Eva<\/figure>
\n

Eva Markham \u2013 Tender to the Land
<\/em><\/strong>A musician\u2019s foray into poetry, this work reflects on death, time, and the Earth, using lyrical form to get closer to emotional truth.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It is always an honor to get to see all the passion and talent that the English department has, and it\u2019s inspirational to see how hard all the seniors have worked on their Capstones. Great work everyone, we are so proud!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Peyton Williamson ’27 and Daniel Graham ’26 This year\u2019s senior English Capstone presentations showcased the stunning range and depth of the department\u2019s creative and critical work. Spanning three evenings, students shared their projects that explored themes that ranged everything from identity, grief, love, memory, rebellion, language, and healing\u2014often through genre-defying forms. From novels and […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1193,"featured_media":0,"parent":10779,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-10743","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/the-words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/the-words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/the-words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/the-words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1193"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/the-words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10743"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/the-words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10743\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10815,"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/the-words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10743\/revisions\/10815"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/the-words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10779"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/the-words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}