Artist & Research Statement

Fiadhnait Moser-Hardy, MFA

My current research is centered on social justice art and books, the interdisciplinary nature of fine arts, cultural arts, and world folklore. I have designed and taught 8 courses at Champlain College, including the following:

• “Navigating Higher Education” (Disciplinary Focus: Academic Writing)

• “Navigating Your Information Landscape: Social Justice Art and Books” (Disciplinary Foci: Information Literacy, Social Justice Art History, Children’s Literature, Academic Writing, Research Methods)

• “Making Stories” (Disciplinary Foci: Creative Writing, World Folklore, Interdisciplinary Fine Arts, Cultural Arts, Oral Storytelling, Publishing, Project Management)

• “Theoretical Perspectives on Disability” (Disciplinary Focus: Disability Studies)

• “Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Creative Process” (Disciplinary Focus: Interdisciplinary Fine Arts, Cultural Arts, Experiential Learning Models)

• “Children’s Literature and the Expressive Arts PreK-Grade 6” (Disciplinary Foci: Early & Elementary Education, Children’s Literature, Integrated Arts Education)

• “Children’s Literature and Identity Development” (Disciplinary Foci: Children’s Literature, Ethnographic and Autoethnographic Research, Literary Theory, Creative Writing, Human Development and Moral Psychology)

• “Writing for the Workplace” (Disciplinary Focus: Professional Writing)

Within these courses, I explore with my students not only craft conversations regarding creative writing, but broader, interdisciplinary conversations about folklore, world cultures, children’s literature, human moral development, reader-response theory, oral storytelling, social justice art history, dance history and cultural dance, integrating arts into elementary education, the social and medical models of disability, information literacy, professional writing and publishing, the creative process, interdisciplinary fine arts and ekphrasis, and more.

While I write for all age categories, I am especially interested in children’s literature due to the transitional nature of childhood and young adulthood. Children’s literature is especially important to me as it is one of the first forms of media a human consumes, and has a strong ability to shape a person’s viewpoints and identity development. Themes of childhood trauma have been especially present in my works, and are often metaphorized by fabulist concepts. My interests in disability and Latinx representation stem from my own experiences with disability and navigating immigration process with family members. These experiences have had a deep impact on my development as a writer and instructor, and I would hope to bring new perspectives on these topics to students.

My past and current artistic and research projects include the following:

OVERVIEW

As a general overview, my creative works focus on themes of trauma, most often explored through fabulism and folklore, or poetry. My work spans from children’s picture books through adult novels. Many of my novels feature elements of verse, and my picture books are written in verse. Recently, I have produced several works that focus specifically on social justice themes, including disability representation and Latinx immigration.

PUBLISHED

• I have two published two middle grade novels, The Flourishing of Floralie Laurel (Historical/Fabulist/Verse) and The Serendipity of Flightless Things (Historical/Folklore Retelling) with Little Bee Books/Simon & Schuster in 2018 and 2019.

  • Research Foci: Victorian Language of Flowers, 1920s England and France, Claude Monet and Impressionism, The Troubles of Northern Ireland, 1970s Ireland, Irish Folklore (The Children of Lir)

• I have published three articles with Publishers’ Weekly (“It’s Not All About the Pub Date”), Book DNA (“Best Middle Grade Books with an Air of Whimsy”), and The Rumpus (“Letter for Kids”) in 2019 and 2021.

  • Research Foci: Disability in Publishing, Children’s Literature

FORTHCOMING

• I have one forthcoming picture book in verse, Undisclosed Title with Sleeping Bear Press/Tilbury House, set for publication in 2028.

  • Research Foci: Social Justice

ON SUBMISSION

• I am represented by Rena Rossner of Bradford Literary Agency, who has several of my works on submission with major publishing houses including the following:

  • This River Runs Wild (Adult/Young Adult Crossover Fabulist Novel with Verse Elements)

    • Research Foci: The Cottingley Fairies Hoax, British Folklore, Chronic Illness, Near-Death Experiences, Trauma, Sontag’s Illness as Metaphor, Oliver’s Individual and Social Models of Disability

  • The Girl Who Loved the Wicked Night (Middle Grade Fantasy Novel)

    • Research Focus: Italian Arts and Culture

  • My Heart is a Hummingbird (Picture Book in Verse)

    • Research Focus: Disability Representation in Children’s Literature

  • Maple Plantains (Picture Book in Verse)

    • Research Foci: Latinx, Cross-Cultural, and Mixed-Race Representation in Children’s Literature

• I have a personal essay titled “Navigating Death Through Story” on submission with several literary magazines.

  • Research Foci: Sontag’s Illness as Metaphor, Children’s Literature, World Folklore (Psychopomps), Near-Death Experiences, Creative Writing Practice

IN-PROGRESS

I have several works in progress including the following:

• Ursa Minor (Picture Book in Verse – Final Revision Stage)

  • Research Foci: Immigration, Astronomy

• Fox Fire (Young Adult Folklore Retelling Novel – Drafting Stage)

  • Research Focus: Finnish Folklore

• The Cat in the Window in the Night (Middle Grade Historical Novel – Drafting Stage)

  • Research Focus: French Art History

• Whatever the Weather is in Outer Space (Adult Contemporary Novel – Planning Stage)

  • Research Foci: Grief and Loss, Astronomy

• Someone Sitting in a Chair, and a Door (Adult Novel in Verse or Poetry Collection – Planning Stage)

  • Research Foci: Chronic Illness, Near-Death Experiences

OTHER CREATIVE & RESEARCH WORKS

• My graduate critical thesis, Chronic Illness and the Sacred Space of Story, focused on disability within the publishing industry and the works of chronically ill children’s and young adult authors.

• I am a fine artist and am currently exhibiting my nature-based fine art with Milton Artists’ Guild in Milton, VT, along with several other community locations.

• My prior experiences as an international champion Irish dancer have influenced my cultural awareness, and I often bring cultural artforms as a research interest to my classrooms.

• I am a Certified Knowledge Manager through the Knowledge Management Institute, with which I use my skills in ethnographic research and information management to foster cultures of learning and knowledge flow within organizations.