Imagination and Ancestral Memory in Memorial Drive and the Halsey Family Archive

This thesis explores how memory, specifically in the context of Black women's narratives, is not merely preserved and documented but engaged with through imagination, shaping memory as dynamic. Engaging Saidiya Hartman's concept of critical fabulation, this project examines how archival absences, gaps, and silences are countered through imaginative storytelling in both literary and digital spaces. Through a close reading of Natasha Trethewey's memoir Memorial Drive as an archive, this thesis argues her texts functions as a site of critical fabulation, weaving together historical records, personal recollections, and imagination to provide a futuristic vision for Black communities built upon active participation with one's ancestral past. Extending this theoretical framework into the digital humanities, this project also includes the creation of an imaginative digital archive titled, "The Halsey Family Archive." This interdisciplinary approach, bridging together African American literary studies, archival studies, and digital humanities, challenges traditional archival practices that position Black life as static rather than a dynamic site of reimagination.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

English

Department dc:contributor.department

English

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Halsey, Jessica Chantel

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Thompson, Tyechia

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Waldman, Emily
• Chandler, Gena Elise

• critical fabulation
• digital archives
• black memoir

Statement dc:rights

• Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:44182

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/134991