Presenter(s): Kaya Noteboom
Faculty Mentor(s): Mark Hennion
Oral Session 3 DL
The personal essay, as a mode of creative writing, allows total agency in the representation of stories coming from writers of under-represented backgrounds. As an artist who identifies as a trauma survivor, as queer, trans, and mixed-race, I prioritize telling true stories from my life because I feel an urgency to complicate the sparse existing narratives surrounding these identities. “On Being Full” is a personal essay that mediates on two opposing fears: the fear of unplanned pregnancy and the fear of infertility. Within it, I weave expository elements with scenes of unpleasant doctor’s visits, and flashbacks of pivotal moments in my family history. This essay is a meditation on fertility—for the purpose of procreation, and creating as an artist. “On Being Full” provides a queered perspective on pregnancy and motherhood, contributing to the visibility of stories and lives that are seldom given light in the literary community.