Date of Award
5-1-2025
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Communication Studies
First Advisor
Walker Anderson, Rebecca
Abstract
This creative dissertation explores the aesthetic potential of the practice of performative writing. While most performative writing texts in the field of performance studies feature traditionally published formats, this project offers three arts-based excursions into performative writing that push the aesthetic limits of the tradition through visual poetry, comics, and collage. Chapter two uses visual poetry to create an evocative, colorful zine with two performative exemplars. Specifically, this chapter asks and answers what can happen when we embrace the visuality of the language in performative writing texts. Chapter three takes the form of a comic. It takes the complex relationships between images, texts, and words in comics and graphic novels to explore the dynamic written performances possible in an extended exemplar about living through the pandemic. Finally, the collage chapter features thirty-eight performative pages embedded with theoretical writing. This chapter adds materiality to the performative writing toolbox. Themes explored in the creative sections of the chapter include LGBTQ identity, feminism, trauma, performance pedagogy, and mental health.
Access
This dissertation is only available for download to the SIUC community. Current SIUC affiliates may also access this paper off campus by searching Dissertations & Theses @ Southern Illinois University Carbondale from ProQuest. Others should contact the interlibrary loan department of your local library or contact ProQuest's Dissertation Express service.