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.]

New Graduate Assistant

 Hello everyone!

My name is Lara Amin, and I am currently a second-year graduate student pursuing a master’s in English at SDSU! My specialization is in Children’s Literature, and I’m most interested in literary nonsense like Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Other scholarly interests include gender and sexualities studies and feminist and queer theory.

This fall semester, I am also a TA for English 220: Introduction to Literature. In my course, I strive to help students understand literature on a deeper level, close read various texts using different mediums, and provide a safe space to learn and grow as critical thinkers. 

When I’m not in the classroom, I spend my free time studying astrology and tarot. Astrology has always been a particular interest of mine, and it’s essentially my love language. I utilize astrology with tarot readings to give advice and guidance to others, especially when they need it. To me, astrology and tarot are other forms of close reading, just like with literature. When I’m not studying astrology, I write poetry and post my photography on Instagram. 

All in all, I am grateful for the opportunity to be a Graduate Assistant at the National Center for the Study of Children’s Literature. ​​I can't wait to see what I will learn from this deep dive into the scholarly conversations surrounding children's literature!

-LA

Looking Back and Looking Forward at the End of my M.A. Experience

The title of “scholar” was one that intimidated me since before I began my graduate studies -- it felt as though I would never be able to achieve it. Yet the final question asked during the defense of my culminating project for this M.A. in English degree was “how do you feel now that you have joined the scholarly community with your own unique intervention?” To hear that question of recognition and welcome was truly an honor. I can honestly say that I achieved what I had hoped to over the course of my two years in this grad program. Along the way, I’ve learned that becoming a scholar is less about being inherently intelligent and more about learning scholarly conventions in order to make a contribution to the conversations that already exist. I can definitely attest to the fact that hard work, humility, and perseverance made it possible.

The Culminating Experience:

To provide some context for my journey, I thought it would be helpful to share a little bit about the M.A. process at San Diego State. I chose the portfolio option, meaning I revised my star paper to the point that I might feasibly submit it for publication. The portfolio workshop began in January. It was truly a rigorous and demanding process. I was able to engage with children’s literature seriously and had very high standards to meet regarding the quality of my research and writing. One of the biggest takeaways was certainly my development of endurance. While I hadn’t really ever had a problem with working hard, I was used to completing and then submitting assignments -- done. Though I taught revision in my composition classes, I didn’t actually have to do it myself as a student. In the workshop, however, I had to submit section after section of my paper for the weekly assignments, then go back and revise based on the feedback I received from my peers and professor while also preparing another section for the following week. It got to the point where I dreaded reading my own words, and did all of my other assignments to avoid having to revise.

My main support throughout this process was the peers who endured it with me. We were all on the same schedule, which meant that we had to meet the same deadlines. Even so, the chance to chat in casual breakout room conversations at the beginning of class allowed us to destress. It is easy to complain about the detriments of online learning, but I believe having to undergo the portfolio workshop on Zoom while still in a global pandemic gave us the opportunity to be more vocal about all of the other things that affect the writing process. We were able to be vulnerable about impostor’s syndrome, about the struggle of researching, and about losing sight of what we had loved about our papers. Through it all, we supported one another emotionally and intellectually so that we all had intensely revised portfolios to submit by the beginning of April.

The portfolio was comprised of the star paper, a secondary paper, and an annotated bibliography, all of which I had to be prepared to discuss during my defense. My advisor and an examiner read the portfolio two weeks in advance, during which time I prepared for the questions I would likely receive. We practiced answering questions aloud in the portfolio workshop, and all too soon, it was time for the defense. Upon beginning, I was immediately overwhelmed with gratitude for the generous, thoughtful engagement of my advisor and examiner with my work. They expressed their interest in my subject matter even though Asian American children’s literature is a niche in the field of children’s literature. Their questions were specific to the content of my paper, indicating that they had read it thoroughly and could see new directions in which my ideas could expand. They were also curious about my overall journey as a student throughout my two years in the program. The conversation was very enjoyable. Terrifying at first, but ultimately very fun. It was an experience I will always be grateful for, and I expressed that sentiment in response to that final question I was posed. I feel confident taking this paper to present at ChLA 2021 to test out its readiness for eventual publication. My scholarly journey has only just begun.

 

Graduate Assistantship:

The rigors of graduate-level literary study were certainly rewarding, but I also had other opportunities outside of the classroom for which I am thankful. The graduate assistantship that allows me to write these blog posts has been a fun, informal way to engage with the scholarly community. I had the chance to read and write on hot-off-the-press books, learn about the use of social media, correspond with leading intellectuals in the field via email and Twitter, attend a conference, join professional organizations, and be involved in lectures by notable scholars. More importantly, being a graduate assistant allowed me to see and validate passion for the study of children’s literature. I am forever grateful to Dr. Joseph Thomas, our Director, as well as my fellow graduate assistants, Sofia and Natalie, for sharing this space with me.

 

Teaching:

As I’ve written about before, SDSU gives graduate students the opportunity to teach first-year composition and literature courses. I won’t take up too much space reiterating it here, but thanks to those opportunities, I can pursue teaching as a career with confidence. I received extensive pedagogical training before and during the courses I taught, and professional development events were frequent and timely. I am certain that I can take all that I learned at my time at SDSU to whatever campuses I am at in the future!

 

A final word:

It’s hard to not get sentimental, as this is likely the last blog post I will write for the National Center for the Study of Children’s Literature. If even one person reads to the end, I will always be grateful that my words were worth your time. Thank you for this space, and I truly look forward to ongoing engagement with the study of children’s and young adult literature as a newly minted scholar.

 - (A.N.)

 

 

 

 

 

New Graduate Assistant

 Hello everyone!

My name is Natalie Alvarez and I’m currently a first year M.A. student studying English with a specialization in Children’s Literature. Being a new student to the program means that I’m still exploring my definitive areas of research. Nonetheless, areas such as queer studies, media studies, sexuality studies, and Digital Humanities have caught my attention. When it comes to Children’s Literature, I gravitate towards Young Adult Literature. I’m especially interested in YA narratives written by authors of color in the Fantasy genre. I would like to explore how cultural and/or queer identity operate in Fantasy landscapes.

 

My love for reading blossomed due to my desire to learn English. I was learning the language in school, but I wanted to experience more than grammar rules and the assigned texts. Then a family member talked to me about a certain book revolving around vampires. After devouring such in a couple of days my journey began. The rest as they say is history and now here, I am now pursuing the degree that I dreamed of when I was younger.

 

When I'm not doing schoolwork I can be found creating book related content for my Instagram. I post everything from book inspired makeup looks to book reviews. Besides reading I enjoy fashion, watching the latest tv series or horror movie, digital art, and blogging. In case you were wondering (and I know you were) some of my favorite books are We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown, and Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.

 

I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to be a Graduate Assistant at the National Center for the Study of Children’s Literature, and I can’t wait for all the amazing things this will bring. I’m excited to be part of the conversation and immerse myself more into the scholarly world of Children’s Literature. I look forward to sharing with you all everything related to Children’s Literature and the National Center for the Study of Children’s Literature.

 

-NA

New Graduate Assistant

Hello!

My name is Ashley Nguyen, and I am a first-year M.A. student studying English with a specialization in Children’s Literature! I’m pictured below with my new favorite novel, I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn. Stay tuned for a review soon!

As a brand-new grad student, this first blog post would be the perfect place to test out my elevator pitch... but nailing down what my research interests are has been the biggest challenge of my educational experience thus far. If I am to emerge from these two years of post-baccalaureate education with some degree of expertise in a field, which should it be?

I’ve never had the opportunity to take a course in Asian American literature, but as a Vietnamese American and an avid reader, a literary study of Asian American culture definitely intrigues me. I’m particularly interested in the voices of American-born teenagers with Asian heritage and would like to study further the identity explorations that occur when leaving a native land to "return to” or visit a motherland. I’m grateful to have many knowledgeable professors who can guide my studies and I look forward to the research to come!

As a Roman Catholic, I seek ways to orient my research towards understanding how literature encounters, grapples with, and utilizes depictions of good and evil. As I discovered in my undergraduate honors seminar, there is room in the field of Children’s and Young Adult Literature for exploring – and attempting to challenge – binary notions of morality. Under the guidance of a wonderfully encouraging professor and honest feedback from my four peers, I produced “Devious Dichotomies: Explaining the Fascination with Disney Villains.” This thesis drew from Serena Valentino and Liz Braswell, two Disney-published authors, to contrast their recent interpretations of villains in the Disney movies Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Sleeping Beauty (1959). I found that Valentino’s attempt to spotlight the villain’s backstory only indicted other characters as new villains, while Braswell’s novels rewrite the heroines into young women with traits admirable in modern times such as leadership, bravery, and agency. In both authors’ writings, the protagonist’s sense of justice prevails and the evil character is still vanquished. I conclude that the good versus evil binary is indisputably what makes Disney thrive, and to challenge it would destroy Disney’s magical ability to make viewers believe in their own happily ever after.

I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to explore my interests through my studies here at SDSU and even more so to be a Graduate Assistant at the NCSCL. I would love to engage in conversation about any of the topics I mentioned or anything else to do with this wonderful field. I look forward to sharing with you about the National Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at San Diego State University!

-AN

Fall 2017: Welcome Back and Welcoming Aboard NCSCL’s Graduate Assistants

Greetings Readers, Skimmers, and Seekers of Literary Wisdom,

We look forward to a productive and insightful academic year, bringing you different perspectives into children/young adult literature through a variety of mediums. By exploring not just printed books, but films, television shows, comics and digital content, the National Center for the Study of Children’s Literature can be your portal to a greater understanding of the concepts and creativity woven into these stories.   

The exploration of children’s literature takes a community, and this year we hope to show how those perceptions evolve or differ through the words and works of professors, fellow graduate and undergraduate students, and from their intended audience: children and teens.

Please check us out on our social media platforms where we post EVERYTHING, like upcoming events, historical moments in literature, current research musings, book reviews, author interviews, and any other delicate morsels we find appetizing:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NCSCL
Twitter: @NCSChildLit
Instagram: NCSChildlit  

Andrea Kade, Graduate Assistant

Hey Readers! My name is Andrea, and I am a second year English graduate student specializing in Children’s Literature. I’m also a third semester Teaching Associate, who has taught courses in writing and rhetoric, as well as, introduction to literature. My broad range of research interests focus on everything from psychoanalysis and feminist theory to the constructs of identity in childhood. Currently, I’m examining gothic and horror in children and YA literature/popular culture through an independent course for the fall semester. I’m indulging in some nostalgic behavior by studying a few texts of my childhood like, Mary Downing Hahn’s Wait Till Helen Comes, with newer titles like Jonathan Auxier’s The Night Gardener, along with source texts like the Grimm Brother’s Folktales.

Pumpkin Patch in Florida, 
many October moons ago

My love for books started in preschool (where it probably does for most English students), whereupon my mother promised me I would “learn to read, if I went to school.” Running upstairs after the first day of class, I hungrily tore open the pages of P.D. Eastman’s Go Dog Go! and burst into tears. I couldn’t read a single word. Clearly, nobody explained to my girl-child self that one does not learn to read in a single day. In 5^th grade, I had my first encounter with adult literature, in a place that happens for many, the bathroom. I found my father’s copy of Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire placed on the ledge of the frosted window and became a devout follower of the author during my teen angst years. Rice’s novels heavily influenced my taste for the gothic and fulfilled the wanderlust within my soul. Over the years, my reading preferences have leaned towards speculative fiction with no bias on any of the sub-genres, I love them all—sci-fi, alternate history, fantasy, dystopian.

Lastly, but certainly not least, I am the exhausted doting mama to three lively, young children, and have the exceptional privilege of exploring these books through their eyes and experiences, while simultaneously, receiving the sweetest snuggles. Contextualizing these works through child and adult perspectives has given me a remarkable slant on the ways I can approach literature and theory.

I’ll see you on the pages. –A

Chris Deming, Graduate Assistant

Somewhere in San Diego

Hello all! My name is Chris Deming, and I’m a second year English grad student specializing in Children’s Literature.  I’m a first semester Teaching Associate for an Intro to Literature class covering the topic Identity in a Technological Age, the goal of which is to explore the nature of identity and how it is constructed, what constitutes technology, and why it is important for this relationship to be depicted in literature. In answering these questions, the class addresses the growing reliance on technology in contemporary society, and what that means for the construction of identity.  Working in conjunction with my class is my current area of research: Posthuman theory. In studying it, I hope to reexamine the questions of what constitutes “human,” and how contemporary Children’s and YA fiction is addressing this with the continually increasing motifs of technology and human entwinement.

I don’t remember the first book I ever read, but I know once I discovered my father’s hoard of old fantasy and sci-fi novels in middle school, there was never a moment I didn’t have my nose in the pages of one book with another ready in the wing. My love of reading inspired me to pursue literature classes, and from there I fell in love with theory and the ability to use books as a window into not just the fantastical realms on the page, but windows to our world and the issues of the times.

I look forward to exploring literature with everyone in tow, and I’ll see y’all on the blog!