JUNKYARD TORNADO
Live Reading March 26 at 6:00PM
Center for Documentary Studies Auditorium
The novel Junkyard Tornado follows twelve college students as they navigate grieving the death of their friend while their city is preoccupied with creationism discourse and rumors of a sea monster lurking in the river. Set in 2005 and against the backdrop of Topeka, Kansas, a state capital famous for being a hotbed of religion-fueled protests, the birthplace of Pentecostalism, and home of the man who coined “What Would Jesus Do?”, Junkyard Tornado is about artistic and cosmological chaos, creation, and evolution and begs the question of what it means to create despite or perhaps because of a tragic situation.
I am a writer and artist whose practice spans fiction, creative nonfiction, animation, and performance art. My work explores change and transformation in 21st century American culture and the uncertainty that comes from pivotal life experiences. I am interested in ambiguity, cultural shifts, and tension between the physical and digital landscapes in contemporary culture. Pulling from my undergraduate training in animation and experience working in theatre, I am drawn to movement and intricacy in creative pursuits. Lately I’ve also been exploring “unplugged” ways of creating, writing much of my novel longhand and on a typewriter and embarking on hands-on creative projects. Junkyard Tornado is a project that came out of my need to explore the significance of space and chaos in relation to both my childhood experiences and present circumstances.
