Moriah Moore

MFA Thesis Project

Daddy

Saturday, October 18, 1997, at 11:03 p.m. we were both transformed. I became daughter, and he became Daddy. Our existences were no longer exclusive but, were now connected forever. To solidify this connectivity, I have been marked with his facial features, mannerisms, and personality traits. Our stubbornness and pride are what threatens our bond.

My relationship with Daddy was formed by action and inaction. Presence and absence. I constructed my identity around him. Around his reactions toward me and my reactions to him. The more he worked the more I would isolate myself. The less he remembered about me the more invisible I felt.

Daddy serves as a manifesto for myself and a letter to Daddy. Within it I seek to reflect on the past to comprehend the good intentions he had. I look to untangle our identities so that who I am can emerge. I pray this work grants hope to myself and other women needing to become themselves, rather than their fathers.

I wonder if Daddy still sees me as his little girl.

Does Daddy remember playing with Grandpa?

I am starting to accept the fact that I never heard Granpa preach.

Daddy is a confident man. He is committed to providing for his family.

I didn't know that guarded love worked on multiple planes.

Henbits remind me of my childhood. They tasted so bitter.

I was never as good as Daddy in basketball or anything else.

Imitation was the best form of flattening my identity.

I eventually realized that what is presented isn't always the full story.

I was cherished in ways that were hidden by insecurities and pride.

I was never grateful for his only bedtime story.

Grandpa was Daddy's paragon.

My vision was blurred with insecurities. I didn't see Daddy's humanity.

I wonder if Daddy saw my desperation to honor him.

"Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always."

After years, I realized half our strain was because of me.

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The History of Falls County in Historical Landmarks (Ongoing)

Historical markers are used to mark history. Although that sounds redundant, that is their functional purpose. It should be emphasized that the historical markers exclusively mark history. The markers cannot speak but, the land can, and if we are paying attention we can receive its messages. We can imagine the land before man took over and if we are engaged enough we can discern how nature will take its revenge. When reading a historical marker one must be aware of the past, present, and possible future. One must create the story and fill in the blanks for themselves.

Often rural areas, like the locations within the series, have many historical markers that go unseen and therefore unread. They are often overlooked by the community due to familiarity and by passersby because of the assumption that none exist in "such a small town". Exasperating the issue, signage for the locations of the historical markers is often vague in terms of direction or is nonexistent. In the latter case, the markers serve as their own signage.

The history of what our lands have endured and recovered from often goes unknown unless the land is affected by more contemporary issues. The knowledge of what has been scarred and scabbed over dwindles, even more, when said lands are not seen as valuable or viable in the eyes of the public at large. This project shows the banality of viewing historical markers and the desertion of the stories of our lands.