Narrative Studies Capstone Project
Introduction
The capstone project is the final requirement for the Narrative Studies major. It is a cumulative research project that draws upon the classes you have completed for your major.
The core of the project is a critical essay of at least 20 double-spaced pages on a research question of your choice. Your project may incorporate significant creative work as well, which could take the form of a free-standing narrative in a format you have already done classwork in (e.g. short story, play, screenplay) or the form of a more blended “creative-critical” essay. Each capstone project is unique because it follows your unique blend of interests and narrative skills.
Refer to the Capstone Requirements Info Sheet (PDF) for details.
Presentations
All ENGL-492 students present their capstone projects at the end of the semester. Guests, including other faculty, classmates, and students’ families and friends, are all invited to attend.
Past Projects
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Denise Abille
“Kusina: A Memoir”Aanya Agarwal
“Memory in Hiding: Palimpsestuous Unfolding of Language and Memory”Solange Aguero
“Queerness in Armenia(n): Making Space within a Nation Family”Andrea Arcia
“Before I Had a Name: A Memoir of Trauma”CeCe Benyam
“From Berlin to Bandung”Camryn Brewer
“Porch Stories and Streetlights: On the Spatial Structures of Black Storytelling Traditions”Alex Cardona
“The Mailroom: Corporate Workplace Theatre in the 21st Century”Alice Dong
“Dangai Web-Based TV Series in China Today: Suppression, Female Perspective, Cultural Circulation in East Asia”Morgan Fierro
“Off the Beaten Path: A Travel Anthology”Sophia Hammerle
“No Tree in Particular: A Field Guide to Delight”Stella Horns
“Reinterpreting Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”Adeline Jackson
“The Magic Lantern, a Los Angeles Odyssey”Sol Lagos
“City of Angels: Unrequitedly Loving Los Angeles within the Sensuous Poetics of Wanda Coleman”Noah Lunn
“Burnout Sucks!: Series Bible”Jana Mae
“The Queen of Filipino Fabrics: Piña textile as a form of nationalism in the Philippines”Allen Manoukian
“1950s Cinema: America and France”Janelle Nwakuche
“I Hate Your Space: A Story About Love”Frank Perazzini
“Out of Bounds: Deconstructing Hegemonic Masculinity Within Southern Family Structures”Kayla Quevedo
“Romance Novels: Why They’re Loved Despite the Stigma”Krystana Raczka
“I’m Just a Girl: Confessions of a Romantasy Hater”Adam Soukup
“Authors of the Anthropocene: Climate Change Narratives and You”Keaton Tracy
“Moonjacket, a New Play: Dreams in Space, and a Space for Queer Comfort”Juno Wolfe
“Romantasy Fantasies – Gender, Sexuality and Popular Feminism in the work of Sarah J. Maas” -
Haley Valdez
“If nothing else, I leave you this: Love Letters on Gender Performance, Queerness, and Not Knowing”Isabella Escalona
“Unsent – The Letter Project: A Field Guide to Being Human”Jillian Gorman
“Through the Cracks: Environmental Scars in the City of Angels”Kai Pompey
“Match of Rivals: How the parties of the American Government brew conflict”Alex Kwon
“Removed: Human Alienation in the Age of Digital Communication”Honor Campbell
“The Unreliable Narrator: An unreliable theory”Joshua Garberg
“The Healing Art of Time and Memories in Graphic Memoirs”Victor Peralta
“Chicané Film”Alan Enriquez
“On the Verge of Fame: A Narrative in Fashion”Isabelle Barroga
“‘Drive To Survive:’ The Survival of F1 Through Narrative”Courtney Hayata
“In Defense of the Unoriginal: Adapting Pride and Prejudice for the Modern Era”Jack Kleiner
“Rewinding the Narrative: Blockbuster’s Fall and the Narrativization of History”Jackson Jeffers
“Sound on Paper: An Exploration of Music in Prose”Khalil Siddeeq
“An Exploration of Accurately Depicting Trauma in Popular Media”Erin Beam
“Marlee and Me: d/Deaf Representation in the Entertainment Industry”MJ Kennebeck
“My Past As Reader, My Future As A Writer”Akin Gruner Domic
“Narratives of Nature: A Personal and Environmental Exploration”Olivia Kuhn
“My Little Corner of Stars Hollow: My Life Through Gilmore Girls”Pardis Eslamieh
“Real and Imaginary Contemplations On Lana Del Rey”Daniela Magana
“Me, Now: Animal Crossing, Realism, and the Self”Alexander Pratt
“Adapting to Adapting Life”
Contact Us
USC Department of English
Taper Hall of Humanities 404
3501 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0354
213-740-2808
Hours of Operation
Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Hours may be adjusted for university holidays.
Department Leadership
Department Chair
Dana Johnson
danajohn@usc.edu
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Bea Sanford Russell
sanfordb@usc.edu
Director of Graduate Studies
Ashley Cohen
ashleylc@usc.edu