Date of Award
5-1-2025
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts
Department
Creative Writing
First Advisor
Daniel, Joshua
Abstract
Justin Aitken is a standup comedian who survived a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Madison, Wisconsin. This shooting killed his partner Jamie and management team, which he is still in grief group for and experiences flashbacks of. Faced with survival and with disgust at his old vocation for being frivolous and leading to harm, he takes a job in the nonprofit sphere trying to get reforms passed that would make mass shootings a thing of the past. However, a growing ache to get back on stage and a chance to reconnect with a lost love drive Justin back into the lifestyle he left behind. Facing new virality, he gets the chance to perform for the new Democratic president who he views as ineffectual at best. Although this would lead to a compromise in what he views as his values, his new boyfriend, Shane, pushes him into it.
Access
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