Student Spotlight: Deziree Brown

Good afternoon Dez to start out could you tell me a bit about yourself? Who you are and what is your field of study?

Deziree: 

For sure, my name is Desiree Brown I usually go by Dez I’m a 3rd-year student in the English department in the program for writers, so that means I’m writing a creative dissertation. I’m a poet and avid video gamer and that’s what I spent a lot of my time doing when I’m not in academia whether that’s GWS (Gender & Women’s Studies Department) working on preparation for my prelims. I spend time video gaming, with my two little dogs or with my wife. So yeah, my research focuses on the intersections between contemporary black poetry is the poetry of Afro-pessimism and representations of Black people in digital and popular culture, and that’s the focus of my preliminary exams as well that’s why I’m hoping, trying to specialize in. So, I kind of examine these theories whether it’s Black feminism or whether it’s Afro-pessimism, etc. in my poetry whether thinking about how to defend my life or those around me.

I noticed that you’re working on a Ph.D. and English as you said are there additional fields that influence your work you mentioned your research, are you concentrating in any additional UIC fields?

Deziree: 

Good question. I should have said that, so yes I am getting a dual concentration for my degree in Gender and Women’s Studies and Black Studies so those two departments have been critical to me understanding exactly what I want to focus on. And given me multiple lenses in which I can kind of examine the realities of my life but also people that look like me. My writing in the English department or the classes that I’ve taught in the English department would not have been as robust if I would not have had my gender and women’s studies classes that I’ve already taken for example 501 and 502 were classes in which I did a lot of writing of poems on the side because those conversations and those texts for reading in those classes really fueled my creative side and I could say the same But also for the Black Study’s classes that I’ve taken. So even though my home is in English I have a lot of love in my heart for Black Studies and Gender and Women’s Studies.

We thank you and it’s great to hear that. As you’re presently a graduate student worker what does your work entail, are you GA-ing TA-ing, what type of work do you do?

Deziree:

I have secured funding for my entire degree through the English department, so I’m lucky in that way. I usually lead instruct 3 courses a year 2 courses and 1 course in Spring but while I’ve been here, I’ve also had other positions as well that have really been critical to helping me survive as a grad student. During the pandemic is when I actually received a Grant, the PSGIA Grant (Public Service Graduate Internship Award) from the gradual college to work with the Gender and Women’s Studies Department during the summer that we were first hit with the pandemic. Since then, my relationship with Gender Women’s Studies has blossomed into an actual GA-ship which I’m doing right now alongside teaching in the English department so I’m really busy. I usually have multiple appointments because I have tried to be very involved in the department that I care about.

Thank you, you seem to be very involved you listed so many different opportunities, so many different opportunities appointments. I’m curious if you are working closely with any faculty within the Gender and Women’s Studies Department, English Department, or The Black Studies Department and if you consider them your mentors.

Deziree:

That’s a good question I would say there have been so many professors that I can think of right now that I’ve really had a strong effect on my learning throughout my time at UIC. Even if I didn’t necessarily consider them mentors, I know that I could reach out to them with questions with care because they were great professors and we kind of built that relationship and I could say, Beth Ritchie, Julian Thomas, they’re both in CLJ (Criminology, Law, and Justice) but I took really great classes with them that were cross-listed that I believe with Black Studies and Gender & Women’s Studies. Also, the Director of my prelim exam committee, Daniel Borzutzky, he arrived the same year I arrived at UIC, and we have a great relationship, I definitely will consider him to be a mentor and also a friend. I would also continue that to say that to the assistant director and the director of Gender & Women’s studies Rachel Caidor and Jenny Brier are also people I consider mentors. Who have been there for me or I’ve brought questions that have nothing to do with my position as a GA and they still have shown me so much care and so much love? I would add to that Madhu Dubey & Ainsworth Clarke for really helping me figure out this prelim exam process because they’re the leaders of my research paper that focus on Afro-pessimism. Afro-pessimism is a glorious yet fraught body of thought. They have been helping me parse through all of the different lenses that that theory has granted me. I’ve just learned so much, I’ve just learned so much, and am so deeply appreciative to both of them especially Ainsworth who I just met this semester.

That’s awesome it seems that as a graduate concentrator as well as taking courses cross-listed throughout different departments within UIC has afforded you opportunity to meet amazing faculty that UIC hosts. You’ve mentioned the term Afro-pessimism, could you share more about Afro-Pessimism?

Deziree:

I can try. Not because I’m not reading and devouring the work for my prelim exam, because I am. It’s just still such a highly contested field of study even by those who may or may not be classified as “Afro pessimists”. What Afro-pessimism does is look at the positionality of black people in relation to the rest of the world and not just black Americans but black people across time. Through this they use the term pessimism because, for example, Frank Wilderson, identifies Black people as being, you might have heard the term “the mule of the world.” But the way that the world continues to turn is based on the suffering and dehumanization of Black people. So Afro-pessimism grants us a way to consider how we can show we can think about liberation or how we can think about freedom in which the world as we know it is supported and given life, by the absence of life for Black people. (I hope that no Afro pessimists listen to or see this interview, they might raise some contentions with how I’ve said this, but I think that’s a pretty general way to put it.)

I believe so and I think our readers would appreciate this definition and your insight into it. My last question to wrap everything up is what is next for Dez, where do you see yourself going, and what are your goals? 

Deziree:

After I graduate with my Ph.D. I definitely see myself teaching. I’ve been teaching now for about 6 years and it’s something that I really enjoy and something that I know that I can continue to do for multiple reasons. I’ve learned so much through students, I’ve learned that my teaching philosophy and the way that I run the classroom is “unique”. It just feels nice to be in a place where I know afterward that as long as I can secure a professorship that that’s what I want to do that’s why I pursued my Ph.D. was because I knew I wanted to end up teaching. Now we’re I’ll end up teaching, and in what department I’m not sure. I could be in English I could be in Black Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies, a dual appointment, affiliated faculty. But I do see myself continuing to teach. And alongside that, my dream is to develop a video game company and actually develop video games. But that’s something that will happen much further in the future.

Wow! Your goals are admirable. A video game and teaching in a university setting. 

Deziree: 

Thanks, Adekemi, I really appreciate that.

Yeah, your varied experience are definitely going to lend themselves to wherever you go. With that being said Dez, thank you for taking time out of your afternoon to speak with me.