The concept of my M.A. project, the beginning of a Y.A. novel titled Mirrored Mirage, started on a patio with fireflies glinting on and off in the distance. My dog rolled freely in the coolness of the grass, while a gentle wind encased me with the haunting screams of the summer cicadas. Their tones became a choir of eerie acceptance, and I heard the call.
The final idea I needed for my project came embedded in the sounds of a Kansas summer, leading my mind to a place of the mystifying unknown and a new idea set around Vodoun mythology.
The first chapter of my project involves, Xenia, a teenage girl who is forced to protect herself from her mother. Her mother is subdued by a supernatural curse that is a catalyst for the many obstacles Xenia will have to face in order to save her mom and, eventually, herself.
Mirrored Mirage explores the culture of Voodoo in a way that is different from many other forms of American media. It depicts Voodoo in an accurate light and shows that Voodoo itself isn’t evil but how the morals of people can use it for their own good or evil gains.
— Jorden Schoenhofer (MA ’22)
K-State English 