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Abstract
This thesis combines creative and research elements to analyze and discuss a debate within creative nonfiction regarding the genre’s role and focus. The first chapter presents the major theorists related to creative nonfiction and discusses where they fall on a creative nonfiction spectrum. My own work of creative nonfiction, “Weight,” is an example of creative nonfiction’s push away from its journalistic roots toward experimenting with presenting truth in new and creative ways. In it, I ponder the suicide of Lester Martin, a fellow hunter and someone with whom I’d accidentally crossed paths only a few years prior to his final act. Using a combination of fact gleaned from research on Lester and my knowledge of Path Valley and its people, I strive to relay his final days and act. My goal for this composition was to explore creative nonfiction and experiment in composing a creative nonfiction work. My reflection on the topic highlights the challenges that exist in trying to satisfy both poles of creative nonfiction and discusses the importance of creative nonfiction in discussing and describing insular cultures. Similarly, it posits that holding creative nonfiction to the same demands of journalism detracts from the humanistic appeal of the creative nonfiction genre. In the third chapter, I examine Path Valley, a small, rural community in south central Pennsylvania and discuss my relationship with the culture at length. In this section, I also examine the elements of Path Valley culture that complicated the creative nonfiction research and writing process. I discuss the additional hurdles posed by my role as an outsider to Path Valley culture. The final chapter comments on the issues prevalent in rural America and how creative nonfiction is important to launching discussions on these topics while also functioning as a meta-commentary on my own reflections and what was learned about creative nonfiction during this process. Lastly, it presents questions that creative nonfiction will seek to answer as it moves forward as a genre and continues to evolve.