Swimming away on nerves alone
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The Department of English seeks to provide all university students with the skills of effective communication and critical thinking, as well as imparting knowledge of literature, creative writing, linguistics, speech and technical communication to students within and outside of the department.
History
The Department of English and Speech was formed in 1939 from the merger of the Department of English and the Department of Public Speaking. In 1971 its name changed to the Department of English.
Dates of Existence
1939-present
Historical Names
- Department of English and Speech (1939-1971)
Related Units
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (parent college)
- Department of English (predecessor, 1898-1939)
- Department of Public Speaking (predecessor, 1898-1939)
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Abstract
Swimming Away on Nerves Alone is a fiction short story collection. Each of the four pieces in it reflects the theme of living life without simply going through the motions of it. The title piece, "Swimming Away on Nerves Alone," shows how a mother and son live a life of lies until they come to terms with the father's abusive behavior. The second story, "Birds in Church," is about a woman who struggles with the problem of judging others and refusing to see what makes her own life mundane. The third story in this collection, "A Lesson from Iowa," examines how the two central characters come to terms with living with epilepsy and surviving an armed robbery. The fourth story, "The Taxidermist's Tale," shows how a man's choices in a crisis situation cause another man to die.