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• 21. [Article] Perspective-taking as a determinant of marital adjustment and propensity to divorce

  Perspective-taking has been defined as the tendency to take the point of view of another, to put oneself in the psychological shoes of another. This ability has been argued to be an important component ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Perspective-taking as a determinant of marital adjustment and propensity to divorce Author: Long, Edgar Charles John Perspective-taking has been defined as the tendency to take the point of view of another, to put oneself in the psychological shoes of another. This ability has been argued to be an important component of social interaction. This research examined three components of perspective-taking: a general measure of perspective taking (PT), dyadic perspective-taking (DPT) and the perceptions of a partner's dyadic perspective-taking (PDPT). It was hypothesized that these three components of perspective taking would be predictive of marital adjustment and a propensity to divorce among a sample of 159 married couples. Included in this study was the development and initial psychometric assessments of the dyadic perspective-taking and perceptions of dyadic perspective-taking measures. The results indicated that the Dyadic Perspective Taking and Perceptions of Dyadic Perspective-Taking measures were both reliable and valid. All three components of perspective-taking were found to be predictive of marital adjustment for both husbands and wives. Similarly perspective-taking was found to be predictive of a propensity to divorce for both husbands and wives. Overall the wives rated themselves and were rated by their husbands as being superior in perspective-taking ability. The perceptions of a partner's perspective-taking were also positively correlated with the pleasantness of interaction with a partner. The results were discussed within the context of a social exchange framework of marital quality and stability. Finally, implications for interventionists, the limitations of the study and suggestions for future research were discussed. Title: Perspective-taking as a determinant of marital adjustment and propensity to divorce Author: Long, Edgar Charles John Perspective-taking has been defined as the tendency to take the point of view of another, to put oneself in the psychological shoes of another. This ability has been argued to be an important component of social interaction. This research examined three components of perspective-taking: a general measure of perspective taking (PT), dyadic perspective-taking (DPT) and the perceptions of a partner's dyadic perspective-taking (PDPT). It was hypothesized that these three components of perspective taking would be predictive of marital adjustment and a propensity to divorce among a sample of 159 married couples. Included in this study was the development and initial psychometric assessments of the dyadic perspective-taking and perceptions of dyadic perspective-taking measures. The results indicated that the Dyadic Perspective Taking and Perceptions of Dyadic Perspective-Taking measures were both reliable and valid. All three components of perspective-taking were found to be predictive of marital adjustment for both husbands and wives. Similarly perspective-taking was found to be predictive of a propensity to divorce for both husbands and wives. Overall the wives rated themselves and were rated by their husbands as being superior in perspective-taking ability. The perceptions of a partner's perspective-taking were also positively correlated with the pleasantness of interaction with a partner. The results were discussed within the context of a social exchange framework of marital quality and stability. Finally, implications for interventionists, the limitations of the study and suggestions for future research were discussed. Close

• 22. [Article] Softly to the East

  Growing up on a ranch in eastern Oregon, life is hard. Adelaide Stevens knows this at sixteen, when her father shoots her wounded horse and her mother divorces him. Five years later, Addie returns from ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Softly to the East Author: Hector, Rachel Claus Growing up on a ranch in eastern Oregon, life is hard. Adelaide Stevens knows this at sixteen, when her father shoots her wounded horse and her mother divorces him. Five years later, Addie returns from college to her small town to take care of her ailing mother, and over the course of a week is confronted by memories of her growing up years. Softly to the East is told in both the present and the past, a frame story about depression, discovery, and compassion when times are hard. Title: Softly to the East Author: Hector, Rachel Claus Growing up on a ranch in eastern Oregon, life is hard. Adelaide Stevens knows this at sixteen, when her father shoots her wounded horse and her mother divorces him. Five years later, Addie returns from college to her small town to take care of her ailing mother, and over the course of a week is confronted by memories of her growing up years. Softly to the East is told in both the present and the past, a frame story about depression, discovery, and compassion when times are hard. Close

• 23. [Article] Development of managing emotions : the contribution of selected factors of peer and family relationships

  The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between managing emotions scores and the variables of education level, affiliation, number of relationships, commitment to relationships, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Development of managing emotions : the contribution of selected factors of peer and family relationships Author: Vanderpool, Nancy Marston The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between managing emotions scores and the variables of education level, affiliation, number of relationships, commitment to relationships, and parental divorce. The instrument used in the study was the Iowa Development Inventory-B with questions added to measure behavior relative to the independent variables. The sample included 521 first term freshmen and eleventh term senior women at Oregon State University. Two-way analyses of variance provided information on the relationships and interactive effects between managing emotions, education, affiliation, number of relationships, and commitment to relationships. The t-tests and correlations were performed to further identify relationships. The significant variables were used to build a model for multiple regression. Based on the results of the study, the following conclusions were reached: 1. Managing emotions scores, number of relationships and commitment to relationships rose from the freshman to senior year for both affiliated and nonaffiliated women. 2. Affiliation with a sorority did not have a significant effect on rise in managing emotions scores. 3. Affiliation with a sorority had a stronger relationship with number of relationships than did educational level. 4. Number of relationships and commitment to relationships were significantly higher for affiliated women than for nonaffiliated women. 5. Divorce of parents did not have a significant effect on managing emotions scores. 6. A slight relationship was found between managing emotions scores, education level, and commitment to relationships. Title: Development of managing emotions : the contribution of selected factors of peer and family relationships Author: Vanderpool, Nancy Marston The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between managing emotions scores and the variables of education level, affiliation, number of relationships, commitment to relationships, and parental divorce. The instrument used in the study was the Iowa Development Inventory-B with questions added to measure behavior relative to the independent variables. The sample included 521 first term freshmen and eleventh term senior women at Oregon State University. Two-way analyses of variance provided information on the relationships and interactive effects between managing emotions, education, affiliation, number of relationships, and commitment to relationships. The t-tests and correlations were performed to further identify relationships. The significant variables were used to build a model for multiple regression. Based on the results of the study, the following conclusions were reached: 1. Managing emotions scores, number of relationships and commitment to relationships rose from the freshman to senior year for both affiliated and nonaffiliated women. 2. Affiliation with a sorority did not have a significant effect on rise in managing emotions scores. 3. Affiliation with a sorority had a stronger relationship with number of relationships than did educational level. 4. Number of relationships and commitment to relationships were significantly higher for affiliated women than for nonaffiliated women. 5. Divorce of parents did not have a significant effect on managing emotions scores. 6. A slight relationship was found between managing emotions scores, education level, and commitment to relationships. Close

• 24. [Article] Grandparenting today

  Published January 1996. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catal...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Grandparenting today Author: Gregerson, Donna Marie, Oregon State University. Extension Service Published January 1996. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog Title: Grandparenting today Author: Gregerson, Donna Marie, Oregon State University. Extension Service Published January 1996. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog Close

• 25. [Article] Long-lasting marriages : why do they survive?

  Published January 1996. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catal...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Long-lasting marriages : why do they survive? Author: Hare, Jan, Oregon State University. Extension Service Published January 1996. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog Title: Long-lasting marriages : why do they survive? Author: Hare, Jan, Oregon State University. Extension Service Published January 1996. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog Close

• 26. [Article] A study of the sex-role attitudes and marital adjustment of female doctoral candidates and their spouses during the course of doctoral study

  National statistics indicate substantially higher rates of divorce in doctoral student households where the female, rather than the male, is the degree candidate. This research was designed to examine ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A study of the sex-role attitudes and marital adjustment of female doctoral candidates and their spouses during the course of doctoral study Author: Lewis, Linda H. National statistics indicate substantially higher rates of divorce in doctoral student households where the female, rather than the male, is the degree candidate. This research was designed to examine the married female's experiences and to identify factors which possibly contribute to the differential divorce statistics for males and females. The central objectives of the study were to investigate the sex-role attitudes and marital adjustment of female doctoral candidates and their spouses to: 1) determine if marital adjustment was related to spouses' attitudes toward sex-appropriate roles; 2) determine if a predictable pattern of marital adjustment, common to all doctoral couples during the course of doctoral study, could be anticipated and plotted graphically; and 3) determine if selected demographic variables were related to marital adjustment. The sample for the research was drawn from the total population of female doctoral students enrolled in Oregon State University's School of Education. In order to gain a balanced perspective, both wives and their spouses were included in the study. All of the respondent couples were married at the time the wife began her program, and had remained together through the completion of her dissertation. A total of sixty respondents participated in a series of in-depth personal interviews. Several instruments, including the Marital Adjustment Inventory, the Domestic Responsibilities Questionnaire, the Attitudes Toward Women Scale, and a demographic questionnaire were administered retrospectively to each respondent. The methodology required couples to look back over the entire period of doctoral study and respond to questions about their marital relationship by using different time periods as points of reference. A graphing procedure was also utilized which allowed respondents to graphically plot the changes in their marital adjustment during the stages of doctoral study. Pearson's coefficient of correlation and one-way analysis of variance were applied in testing the various hypotheses. The following findings were considered significant at the .05 level of confidence: 1. There was a significant difference in the marital adjustment of female doctoral students and their spouses prior to entering the doctoral program and during the various stages of doctoral study. A curvilinear relationship was found to exist between marital adjustment and the stage in the wife's educational program. Adjustment levels for both spouses were lowest during the wife's first two terms on campus and during preliminary examinations. However, during the candidate stage, wives experienced an increase in adjustment that was higher than any previously recorded level. Husbands, on the other hand, did not exhibit a similar recovery in marital adjustment. 2. No significant linear relationship existed between sex-role attitudes and marital adjustment. However, both husbands and wives held similar attitudes toward women which could be characterized as pro-feminist. 3. A significant relationship existed between the wife's satisfaction with the allocation of domestic responsibility and her marital adjustment. The more satisfied she was with the division of domestic responsibility within the household, the higher her adjustment level. It is noteworthy, however, that despite support for an egalitarian relationship, couples did not modify the distribution of responsibility during the time the wife was a student. Females were performing the majority of duties traditionally-defined as "women's work" while their spouses were performing sex-appropriate male responsibilities. It was recommended that further research be conducted to include married male doctoral students as a control to contrast with the female experience. Additionally, the scope and size of the population should be expanded to include doctoral students who were divorced or separated during doctoral study to identify their adjustment patterns and learn more about the factors that might have contributed to their marital instability. Title: A study of the sex-role attitudes and marital adjustment of female doctoral candidates and their spouses during the course of doctoral study Author: Lewis, Linda H. National statistics indicate substantially higher rates of divorce in doctoral student households where the female, rather than the male, is the degree candidate. This research was designed to examine the married female's experiences and to identify factors which possibly contribute to the differential divorce statistics for males and females. The central objectives of the study were to investigate the sex-role attitudes and marital adjustment of female doctoral candidates and their spouses to: 1) determine if marital adjustment was related to spouses' attitudes toward sex-appropriate roles; 2) determine if a predictable pattern of marital adjustment, common to all doctoral couples during the course of doctoral study, could be anticipated and plotted graphically; and 3) determine if selected demographic variables were related to marital adjustment. The sample for the research was drawn from the total population of female doctoral students enrolled in Oregon State University's School of Education. In order to gain a balanced perspective, both wives and their spouses were included in the study. All of the respondent couples were married at the time the wife began her program, and had remained together through the completion of her dissertation. A total of sixty respondents participated in a series of in-depth personal interviews. Several instruments, including the Marital Adjustment Inventory, the Domestic Responsibilities Questionnaire, the Attitudes Toward Women Scale, and a demographic questionnaire were administered retrospectively to each respondent. The methodology required couples to look back over the entire period of doctoral study and respond to questions about their marital relationship by using different time periods as points of reference. A graphing procedure was also utilized which allowed respondents to graphically plot the changes in their marital adjustment during the stages of doctoral study. Pearson's coefficient of correlation and one-way analysis of variance were applied in testing the various hypotheses. The following findings were considered significant at the .05 level of confidence: 1. There was a significant difference in the marital adjustment of female doctoral students and their spouses prior to entering the doctoral program and during the various stages of doctoral study. A curvilinear relationship was found to exist between marital adjustment and the stage in the wife's educational program. Adjustment levels for both spouses were lowest during the wife's first two terms on campus and during preliminary examinations. However, during the candidate stage, wives experienced an increase in adjustment that was higher than any previously recorded level. Husbands, on the other hand, did not exhibit a similar recovery in marital adjustment. 2. No significant linear relationship existed between sex-role attitudes and marital adjustment. However, both husbands and wives held similar attitudes toward women which could be characterized as pro-feminist. 3. A significant relationship existed between the wife's satisfaction with the allocation of domestic responsibility and her marital adjustment. The more satisfied she was with the division of domestic responsibility within the household, the higher her adjustment level. It is noteworthy, however, that despite support for an egalitarian relationship, couples did not modify the distribution of responsibility during the time the wife was a student. Females were performing the majority of duties traditionally-defined as "women's work" while their spouses were performing sex-appropriate male responsibilities. It was recommended that further research be conducted to include married male doctoral students as a control to contrast with the female experience. Additionally, the scope and size of the population should be expanded to include doctoral students who were divorced or separated during doctoral study to identify their adjustment patterns and learn more about the factors that might have contributed to their marital instability. Close

• 27. [Article] Job-related expenditures of gainfully employed female household heads in Corvallis, Oregon

  The purpose of this study was to examine the job-related expenditures of female household heads. Also examined were levels of education, occupations, presence of dependent children, employment benefits ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Job-related expenditures of gainfully employed female household heads in Corvallis, Oregon Author: Blackburn, Virginia Lee The purpose of this study was to examine the job-related expenditures of female household heads. Also examined were levels of education, occupations, presence of dependent children, employment benefits and reasons for working. A random sample of 75 female household heads was drawn from the 1973 Polk's Corvallis City Directory. The sample was composed of 28 divorced, 3 separated, 15 single and 28 widowed women living in Corvallis, Oregon. The interviews were conducted during March and April of 1974. The median age for the 75 household heads was 51 years. They had completed a mean of 15 years of schooling. Single household heads were both younger, with a median age of 32, and had a higher level of education, 17 years, than widows and divorced women. Forty-nine percent of the female household heads were professional workers; 39 percent were clerical and sales workers; and the remaining 12 percent were semiskilled workers. Eighty percent of the single household heads were employed in professional occupations, compared with 45 percent of the widows and 38 percent of the divorced and separated women. Median employment income for all 75 household heads was $7, 249. For the 68 women who had worked the entire year, the median employment income was $7, 500 and the mean, $8, 162. Hypothesis 1. Hypothesis 1, there is no relationship between level of education of the female household head and amount of earnings, was not supported by the data and it was rejected. As the level of education increased, the employment income also increased. Household heads who had not completed high school were employed in the lowest-paying occupations. Full-time workers who were college graduates earned 52 percent more than high school graduates and 14 percent more than household heads with some college education. Household heads who had master's degrees earned 36 percent more than college graduates. Household heads with doctoral degrees earned 28 percent more than those with master's degrees. Hypothesis 2. Hypothesis 2, between 40 and 50 percent of the employed female household heads' income from gainful employment was absorbed by job-related expenditures, was not supported by the data. There was a significant difference at the .01 level and the hypothesis was rejected. Female household heads in the study reported 35.8 percent of their cash employment income was used for job-related expenditures or a mean of $2, 930. Payroll deductions absorbed the highest percentage of employment income, 26.5 percent or a mean of $2, 164. Federal income taxes were the highest reported expense, 13.7 percent, with a mean of $1, 122 and a range of $1. 15 to $4, 441. Directly-related expenses were reported as 5.2 percent of the employment income. Education related to the job and transportation were the highest directly-related expenses, 1.5 and 1.6 percent, respectively. Indirectly-related expenses amounted to 4.1 percent of the employment income. Clothing needed for work was the most expensive indirectly-related expense reported, 1.5 percent. Hypothesis 3. Hypothesis 3, there is no difference in percentage of employment income spent for job-related expenses of female household heads with dependent children aged 18 and under and those without dependent children, was accepted since no significant difference in the percentage of income spent was found at the .025 level in a two-tailed "t" test. Female household heads with dependent children reported 36.9 percent of their employment income was spent on job-related expenses and those without children reported 35. 8 percent. Hypothesis 4. For female household heads with dependent children aged 18 and under, there is no difference in the percentage of employment income spent for job-related expenses of household heads with preschool children and those with no preschool children. Hypothesis 4 was not tested. Only two household heads in the study had children of preschool age. Female household heads reported receiving a mean dollar value of $168 in employment benefits. Eighty-three percent of the 75 workers reported receiving health insurance with a mean value of $79. Cash bonuses were valued at a mean of $22 and employer discounts at $21 for all workers. A combined mean dollar value of $44 was received for meals, coffee and snacks, life insurance, gifts from the employer, laundering and drycleaning of work clothing and discounts from other organizations. Only two reasons for working were given by more than 50 percent of the 75 household heads, These reasons were to pay for current living expenses and because they enjoyed working. Title: Job-related expenditures of gainfully employed female household heads in Corvallis, Oregon Author: Blackburn, Virginia Lee The purpose of this study was to examine the job-related expenditures of female household heads. Also examined were levels of education, occupations, presence of dependent children, employment benefits and reasons for working. A random sample of 75 female household heads was drawn from the 1973 Polk's Corvallis City Directory. The sample was composed of 28 divorced, 3 separated, 15 single and 28 widowed women living in Corvallis, Oregon. The interviews were conducted during March and April of 1974. The median age for the 75 household heads was 51 years. They had completed a mean of 15 years of schooling. Single household heads were both younger, with a median age of 32, and had a higher level of education, 17 years, than widows and divorced women. Forty-nine percent of the female household heads were professional workers; 39 percent were clerical and sales workers; and the remaining 12 percent were semiskilled workers. Eighty percent of the single household heads were employed in professional occupations, compared with 45 percent of the widows and 38 percent of the divorced and separated women. Median employment income for all 75 household heads was $7, 249. For the 68 women who had worked the entire year, the median employment income was $7, 500 and the mean, $8, 162. Hypothesis 1. Hypothesis 1, there is no relationship between level of education of the female household head and amount of earnings, was not supported by the data and it was rejected. As the level of education increased, the employment income also increased. Household heads who had not completed high school were employed in the lowest-paying occupations. Full-time workers who were college graduates earned 52 percent more than high school graduates and 14 percent more than household heads with some college education. Household heads who had master's degrees earned 36 percent more than college graduates. Household heads with doctoral degrees earned 28 percent more than those with master's degrees. Hypothesis 2. Hypothesis 2, between 40 and 50 percent of the employed female household heads' income from gainful employment was absorbed by job-related expenditures, was not supported by the data. There was a significant difference at the .01 level and the hypothesis was rejected. Female household heads in the study reported 35.8 percent of their cash employment income was used for job-related expenditures or a mean of $2, 930. Payroll deductions absorbed the highest percentage of employment income, 26.5 percent or a mean of $2, 164. Federal income taxes were the highest reported expense, 13.7 percent, with a mean of $1, 122 and a range of $1. 15 to $4, 441. Directly-related expenses were reported as 5.2 percent of the employment income. Education related to the job and transportation were the highest directly-related expenses, 1.5 and 1.6 percent, respectively. Indirectly-related expenses amounted to 4.1 percent of the employment income. Clothing needed for work was the most expensive indirectly-related expense reported, 1.5 percent. Hypothesis 3. Hypothesis 3, there is no difference in percentage of employment income spent for job-related expenses of female household heads with dependent children aged 18 and under and those without dependent children, was accepted since no significant difference in the percentage of income spent was found at the .025 level in a two-tailed "t" test. Female household heads with dependent children reported 36.9 percent of their employment income was spent on job-related expenses and those without children reported 35. 8 percent. Hypothesis 4. For female household heads with dependent children aged 18 and under, there is no difference in the percentage of employment income spent for job-related expenses of household heads with preschool children and those with no preschool children. Hypothesis 4 was not tested. Only two household heads in the study had children of preschool age. Female household heads reported receiving a mean dollar value of $168 in employment benefits. Eighty-three percent of the 75 workers reported receiving health insurance with a mean value of $79. Cash bonuses were valued at a mean of $22 and employer discounts at $21 for all workers. A combined mean dollar value of $44 was received for meals, coffee and snacks, life insurance, gifts from the employer, laundering and drycleaning of work clothing and discounts from other organizations. Only two reasons for working were given by more than 50 percent of the 75 household heads, These reasons were to pay for current living expenses and because they enjoyed working. Close

• 28. [Article] Thin Slice Judgments in the Clinical Context

  This is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by Annual Reviews and can be found at: http://www.annualreviews.org/journal/clinps...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Thin Slice Judgments in the Clinical Context Author: Ambady, Nalini, Bogart, Kathleen R., Slepian, Michael L. This is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by Annual Reviews and can be found at: http://www.annualreviews.org/journal/clinpsy. Title: Thin Slice Judgments in the Clinical Context Author: Ambady, Nalini, Bogart, Kathleen R., Slepian, Michael L. This is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by Annual Reviews and can be found at: http://www.annualreviews.org/journal/clinpsy. Close

• 29. [Article] Commercial

  This novel-in-progress is an attempt to struggle with the complicated process of forging one’s identity in the murk of urban Northwest life. The protagonist of this piece is confused, to put it lightly: ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Commercial Author: Aguilar, Joseph R. This novel-in-progress is an attempt to struggle with the complicated process of forging one’s identity in the murk of urban Northwest life. The protagonist of this piece is confused, to put it lightly: bi-racial, torn between the affections of divorced parents, unsure about his religious views, and baffled by his own corpulence. Yet, he longs with all his generous heart to make sense of it all, and he is armed with aptitude- -a unique gift for mentally dismantling his surroundings and reassembling them in illuminating, frightening, funny ways. Set around the turn of the 21 P st P century, this story examines the contradictions that define city life in modern America, the curse and boon of technology, the necessity of remaining loyal to one’s family, the sometimes-frightening compatibility of fundamentalist religion and consumerism, and the singular dilemma of inheriting mixed racial heritage. Craft-wise, this story attempts to grapple with these themes through a highly unique voice, that—ideally—retains its economy without sacrificing its color. The first-person, present-tense perspective affords immediacy, and a narrative drive that gives an active counterbalance to the protagonist’s wash of uncertainty. It is the author’s hope that this rough draft will eventually be hammered into a completed novel. Title: Commercial Author: Aguilar, Joseph R. This novel-in-progress is an attempt to struggle with the complicated process of forging one’s identity in the murk of urban Northwest life. The protagonist of this piece is confused, to put it lightly: bi-racial, torn between the affections of divorced parents, unsure about his religious views, and baffled by his own corpulence. Yet, he longs with all his generous heart to make sense of it all, and he is armed with aptitude- -a unique gift for mentally dismantling his surroundings and reassembling them in illuminating, frightening, funny ways. Set around the turn of the 21 P st P century, this story examines the contradictions that define city life in modern America, the curse and boon of technology, the necessity of remaining loyal to one’s family, the sometimes-frightening compatibility of fundamentalist religion and consumerism, and the singular dilemma of inheriting mixed racial heritage. Craft-wise, this story attempts to grapple with these themes through a highly unique voice, that—ideally—retains its economy without sacrificing its color. The first-person, present-tense perspective affords immediacy, and a narrative drive that gives an active counterbalance to the protagonist’s wash of uncertainty. It is the author’s hope that this rough draft will eventually be hammered into a completed novel. Close

• 30. [Article] Elementary Music

  The four stories and one essay within are linked by themes: love, sex, truth, and music. Three of the stories are told by first person narrators who are also musicians. In "Elementary Music," a young girl ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Elementary Music Author: Treat, Tanya The four stories and one essay within are linked by themes: love, sex, truth, and music. Three of the stories are told by first person narrators who are also musicians. In "Elementary Music," a young girl views her parents' divorce through the lens of an orchestra concert in which she participates. In "Laying on of Hands," a woman contemplates abandoning music for an imagined love, and in "I Say All That to Say This," a woman finds herself in love with her pianist, substituting music for sex. In all of these stories music and the act of performance prompt questions about love and truth. The essay, "Unsayable Life," addresses questions about the differences between fiction and life, between living a story and later fashioning it into art, or artifice. "Grammar is Life" is a direct response to those questions, featuring a protagonist who tries to gain control over her fear of loneliness and the future by fashioning her life into grammar lessons. All of these stories deal with loss on some level; music and the search for truth in fiction--in art--act as counterpoint against that loss. Title: Elementary Music Author: Treat, Tanya The four stories and one essay within are linked by themes: love, sex, truth, and music. Three of the stories are told by first person narrators who are also musicians. In "Elementary Music," a young girl views her parents' divorce through the lens of an orchestra concert in which she participates. In "Laying on of Hands," a woman contemplates abandoning music for an imagined love, and in "I Say All That to Say This," a woman finds herself in love with her pianist, substituting music for sex. In all of these stories music and the act of performance prompt questions about love and truth. The essay, "Unsayable Life," addresses questions about the differences between fiction and life, between living a story and later fashioning it into art, or artifice. "Grammar is Life" is a direct response to those questions, featuring a protagonist who tries to gain control over her fear of loneliness and the future by fashioning her life into grammar lessons. All of these stories deal with loss on some level; music and the search for truth in fiction--in art--act as counterpoint against that loss. Close