University of Texas at El Paso DigitalCommons@UTEP Open Access Theses & Dissertations 2016-01-01 Of Mist And Memory Francine Theresa Fitzsimons University of Texas at El Paso, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.utep.edu/open_etd Part of the Creative Writing Commons Recommended Citation Fitzsimons, Francine Theresa, "Of Mist And Memory" (2016). Open Access Theses & Dissertations. 841. https://digitalcommons.utep.edu/open_etd/841 This is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UTEP. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UTEP. For more information, please contact [email protected]. OF MIST AND MEMORY FRANCINE FITZSIMONS Master’s Program in Creative Writing APPROVED: Professor Tim Z Hernandez, MFA, Chair Professor Daniel Chacón, MFA Professor Marion C. Rohrleitner, Ph.D. Charles Ambler, Ph.D. Dean of the Graduate School Copyright © by Francine Fitzsimons 2016 Dedication To my parents Jimmy and Frances OF MIST AND MEMORY by Francine Fitzsimons, BS THESIS Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at El Paso in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF FINE ARTS Department of Creative Writing THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO March, 2016 Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge and thank the students, faculty and staff of the University of Texas at El Paso’s MFA online Creative Writing Program. Thank you particularly to the talent of Professor Bush, Professor Chacón, Professor Hartley, Professor de Piérola, Professor Sirkin, and an extra special thanks to both Professor Tim Z. Hernandez and Professor Sasha Pimentel for their guidance and expertize in the creating of this manuscript. I would also like to thank Dr. Marion C. Rohrleitner for joining my review committee. v Table of Contents Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................................................v Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................... ....vi Preface .............................................................................................................................................1 Works Cited ....................................................................................................................................22 Bibliography .................................................................................................................................. 25 OF MIST AND MEMORY Being Female .................................................................................................................................27 Tokyo Birth ...........................................................................................................................28 Unwanted Pregnancy ............................................................................................................29 "Nothing Terribly Exciting Happening Here" ......................................................................30 Mammogram .........................................................................................................................31 Barbara ..................................................................................................................................32 Make Room For Jesus .......................................................................................................... 33 Awash ...................................................................................................................................36 Naked ....................................................................................................................................37 The Indulgent One ................................................................................................................38 Of Lust ..................................................................................................................................39 Love Letters ..........................................................................................................................40 Autumn Fall ..........................................................................................................................41 We Will Rise ................................................................................................................... .....42 Sweet Treat ...........................................................................................................................44 The Dinner Date ....................................................................................................................45 In Defense of Eve..................................................................................................................46 Being Irish ......................................................................................................................................47 The Matchmaker's Festival ...................................................................................................48 Best In Their Jackets .............................................................................................................49 Dublin After Hours ...............................................................................................................50 The Back Of The Hearse.......................................................................................................51 vi Childhood memories .............................................................................................................52 Mom And Me ........................................................................................................................53 My Brother's Weight .............................................................................................................54 Easy Companions..................................................................................................................55 Fear Of The Dark ..................................................................................................................56 The Life Of Death .................................................................................................................57 Making Tea ...........................................................................................................................58 Missing Jimmy ......................................................................................................................59 Laid Out ................................................................................................................................60 The Gathering .......................................................................................................................61 A Day At The Beach .............................................................................................................62 Happy Birthday .....................................................................................................................63 Generations ...........................................................................................................................64 Being Controlled ............................................................................................................................65 Taking Charge .......................................................................................................................66 Religious Rituals ...................................................................................................................67 The Penny Catechism ...........................................................................................................68 Picture of Jim ........................................................................................................................69 Jim And Frances ...................................................................................................................70 Reasoning The Irrational.......................................................................................................71 Kathleen ................................................................................................................................72 The Grey Matters ..................................................................................................................73 Scrupulosity ..........................................................................................................................74 Purging ..................................................................................................................................75 New Shoes ............................................................................................................................76 Facing Time ..........................................................................................................................77 Jim's Journal ..........................................................................................................................78 Coprophobia ..........................................................................................................................79 When Death Comes Next......................................................................................................80 Ever After..............................................................................................................................81