Meet Our New Graduate Assistant!

We are so excited to welcome our new Graduate Assistant, Dani Nouriazad! Graduate Assistant Natalie asked Dani a few questions to get to know them. Read more about it below!

Tell us a bit about yourself. How long have you been in the MA program? What are your scholarly interests? Are you teaching at the moment? 

My name is Dani Nouriazad. I’m in my second semester of the MA program, studying children’s literature with a special interest in queer studies and gothic/horror studies. I’ve been interested in the world of children’s literature for about three years now! I’m particularly invested in young adult literature, but find myself enjoying picture books and poetry for children more and more. I am also an instructor on campus, teaching RWS 200: Rhetoric of Written Arguments in Context, with special focuses on poetry, community, and radical movement. So far, we’ve enjoyed grappling with what makes poetry meaningful, and how it accomplishes that impact. It has been a challenge, but I’m enjoying all that I’m learning about what it means to be on the other side of the desk.

What do you like to do in your spare time/outside of school?

As an English major, I'm sure you won't be surprised by my answer: I love reading! Many of my favorite stories include gothic themes and horror tropes, queer characters, fantastical landscapes, and perhaps a cheeky, lovable sidekick for comedic relief. From graphic novels to picture books, if it’s got a little strangeness, I’ll love it.

Lately, I’ve enjoyed Jewell Parker Rhodes’s Ghost Boys, Anna-Marie McLemore’s When the Moon Was Ours, and Emily Lloyd-Jones’s The Bone Houses. I also love Gloria Anzaldúa’s Amigos del Otro Lado (Friends from the Other Side), Matt de la Peña’s Milo Imagines the World, and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis. I especially enjoy toting along a good book as I lounge in many of the beautiful parks San Diego has to offer, with a sweet caffeinated beverage steaming by my side. I also enjoy reading and writing for small independent zine creators and poetry presses, like local magazine SOFT Quarterly. Otherwise, I find myself going on long walks around town, thrifting, and consuming far too much local artisanal ice cream. 

What excites you most about starting as a graduate assistant for the NCSCL?

As someone who’s invested in our ability to transgress and disrupt the status quo, I am excited about working at the National Center for the Study of Children’s Literature, a great place to platform those voices and narratives that otherwise go unnoticed or unappreciated. The Center features so many diverse books and authors, it’s tough to choose just one world to explore at a time. The authors that the Center uplifts have shared stories that depart from the traditional narratives that we all know and appreciate. From offering LGBTQIA+ young adult protagonists to explorations of adverse experiences, like houselessness and addiction, the Center continues to add to the archive of childhood narratives, experiences, and subjectivities.

I’m certainly excited to have access to so much more material in the realm of children’s literature and to share what I learn with others. There is much to be gained from active study in this field, where we plant the ideas for movement makers, dreamers, and critical thinkers. It all starts with the kinds of access, information, and appreciation that NCSCL can provide. Whether it be book reviews, interviews, or sharing new and exciting releases, I’m thrilled to be a part of this team that continues the conversations in children’s literature. Being able to share it with anyone and everyone who finds the Center and our work intriguing is what makes it most worthwhile. 

[Image Description: Dani, wearing their hair down and in a leopard print top, holding up Gloria Anzaldúa's picture book, Prietita and the Ghost Woman, to show the cover. With the book covering the bottom half of their face, Dani is peeking over the book, making eye contact with the camera.]