Beaumont, Vermont

This thesis includes the short story, “Punnett Square,” as well as the opening section of the novel-in-progress, Boy/Girl Sleepover. While these narratives are quite different from each other in tone, style, and intended audience, both explore themes of performance, fame, and success; both feature characters whose hometown is the fictional place, Beaumont, Vermont. “Punnett Square” meditates on subjunctive musings, longing, and perceived loss. Boy/Girl Sleepover is a young adult coming-of-age “dramedy” that investigates sexual and gender identity and the ways in which those concepts were broadly understood and represented in the early 2000s. Further, the novel explores pop media of that era and its influence on young peoples’ understanding of physical beauty and sexuality.