Abstract
“Theotokos” and Other Stories About Love is a collection of short fiction. The first and titular story of the collection, “Theotokos,” describes an elderly Greek woman’s journey to convince any one of her five busy children to take her to the store. Next, “Lovie and Hate” captures one of the worst moments of young Danny’s life during his twelfth birthday party. “Love Story,” set in Story, Wyoming, portrays the importance of companionship and the insignificance of attraction between a couple decades into their marriage. The final story in the collection, “April Showers,” depicts the reaction of the victim of an obvious crime with a secondary storyline of a more subtle victim. The thesis concludes with an essay entitled “Theotokos and Other Stories About Love: The Writer’s Essay” which serves as a personal statement of artistry and a reflection on the entire collection.