Susan Brown’s Work Included in London Places and Spaces Exhibition

Susan Brown (’14, MFA in Creative Writing & Poetics,) spent time taking photographs in London while doing field research for her master’s thesis. Responding to a call for posters by the Association of Illustrators based in London, she envisioned “Under the Moon!” which was chosen to be included in the “London Places and Spaces” exhibition at the London Transport Museum, running from May through September 2015.

“As a creative writer who also does visual art and has an academic background that includes natural history, archaeology, and urban planning — disciplines that all require field research — I felt compelled to do creative field research for my MFA thesis. I spent the last four months of 2013 doing field research in Iceland, Scotland, England, and Wales that made it possible to write and illustrate a collection of stories inspired and informed by inscriptions found on gravestones in the United Kingdom, and Seattle, dating from the 1780s to World War I: Love & Courage: Historic Fiction. Each story has a corresponding microessay about research and invention. After graduating in June 2014, I designed an artist book edition of the thesis that has been included several exhibitions this year.” At the “Heart & Hands” exhibition it was one of four books chosen for an Award of Recognition, and was also chosen for a Purchase Award. It is now included in the Special Collections of the library at the University of Nebraska. Examples of the illustrations, stories, and essays created for the thesis can be seen on Susan’s portfolio site www.victoriantravel.com.

Prints of Susan’s poster Under the Moon! can be ordered online from the London Transport Museum.