Madalynn Burnham - 2023

Artist's Statement

This piece was written to show how speculative climate fiction is not just fiction. It is a warning. This story is based on actual events/experiences during the dust bowl which took place roughly from 1930 – 1940. Following telephone poles home in an attempt to not get lost, covering baby's cribs and cradles with wet cloths, flipping dishes upside down before meals, constant sweeping, the mass exodus from the panhandle area, almost constant haze/darkness, and the killer known as dust pneumonia. There are a handful of words that were changed to persuade the reader that the story takes place in a dystopian future. The characters' names were also chosen to enhance this effect. I invite you to re-read this short story and replace the words/names in Column X with the words in Column Y.

Column X → Column Y