The starkeeper

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Authors
Stevens, Haley
Advisor
Mullins, Matthew
Issue Date
2024-05
Keyword
Degree
M. A.
Department
Other Identifiers
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Abstract

Daisy Katz never knew much about her family or heritage, except for the Jewish myths her mother told her growing up. But when her mother suddenly dies in a synagogue shooting on Rosh Hashanah, Daisy has no choice but to travel to a strange invisible town that doesn’t appear on any maps—Middle—and reconnect with an estranged family she’s heard nothing about. With her girlfriend Angel hiding her own secret that could very well jeopardize the existence of Middle, Daisy discovers that there might be some truth to the Jewish myths she’s always been fascinated by—but never believed in: Angels…Giants…Golems…and a Starstone that has protected her family for generations. My project, The Starkeeper consists of the first two opening chapters to a novella about faith, the intersections of queerness, Jewish joys and generational traumas, and asks an ageless question at the heart of most Jewish people: is it better for the Jewish people to hide who they are, assimilate into white culture, and stay alive, or embrace their faith and heritage, and risk death in the face of irrational hatred?