The Sunshine Special, March 2018

​Influenced by poetry such as Testimony by Charles Reznikoff and Paterson by William Carlos Williams, The Sunshine Special by Donovan Hufnagle uses nonliterary documents such as journals, letters, and newspaper articles to interrupt and “negotiate” with original verse. The poetic narrative follows a traveling eighteen-year-old in the summer of 1920 from Fort Worth to Los Angeles. Francis’s exploration of new frontiers is also his exploration into his own internal struggles with family and manhood. In his journal entries, he comments on landscapes, vegetation, and relationships as well as discovers his one and only true love. As Francis explores new areas and eventually explores Los Angeles, he finds himself wanting and willing to permanently move away from the family. Interrupting the verse are letters from his sister, juxtaposing his pleasure and encouraging him to return home.