Abstract

A long poem, All Right? follows the 2011 Ōtautahi earthquakes in Aotearoa New Zealand. The manuscript braids documentary prose poetry with creative non-fiction as a first-person speaker grapples with what recovery might look like. The thesis is divided into six sections which mirror the phases of disaster recovery. Art is used as a navigating force for both the reader and speaker, both in text and as section titles.
This work explores the collectivity of disaster, the role of art in repair, and the value of community. It also addresses the role of colonialism in the recovery process. The questions of responsibility and belonging are raised through the perspective of a queer Pākehā and an immigrant to Canada.