Anything is possible : strategies of coherence in the short story cycle : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Creative Writing at Massey University, New Zealand. EMBARGOED until 5th February 2027

Abstract

This master’s thesis critically and creatively explores strategies of coherence and the use of theme in the short story cycle, and examines the impact of this on the reader’s experience. The critical portion considers current definitions of the short story cycle, including common literary devices that operate as unifying features in independent, yet connected short stories. It argues that these unifying features create a cohesive whole for readers, and that a single theme is not necessary for the short story cycle to function as a complete and unified literary work of fiction. Writers can and do successfully explore a number of themes in the short story cycle. Examining Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout, along with its companion novel, My Name is Lucy Barton, I show that the short story cycle is well-placed to avoid one dimensional, stereotypical portrayals and instead offers nuanced, multi-faceted perspectives of its themes. In Anything is Possible, Strout’s portrayals of experiences of poverty, childhood abuse and the absent mother build upon one another in each successive story, shaping the reader’s experience towards one of greater empathy and understanding. The reader’s experience of the short story cycle is one that accepts a level of nuance, complexity and open-endedness brought about by the form of the work, and in contrast to the conventions of the novel. The creative portion comprises six short stories of my own short story cycle, set in London and exploring a small number of themes such as the frailties of human memory, the migrant experience and the absent mother. I use a number of unifying features, such as a shared locale and ensemble cast, that bring the independent, self-contained stories together to operate as a cohesive work of speculative fiction.