Background Artist

Abstract

This thesis in creative writing is a novella that follows the pursuits of an aspiring actor in Los Angeles in the early 2010s. Aware of the varied traditions of the Hollywood novel, this work delivers its own version of the struggling actor’s story. In the tradition of Bildungsroman, this narrative shows the development of an artist in conflict with the demands of living in post-recession America, attempting to capture an industry and an individual on the brink of change.