Fall 2024

I was thrilled to attend the Honors Luncheon with Viet Thanh Nguyen and have the chance to hear him speak about his writing process, experience as a refugee, and the concept of contested spaces. I tried to prepare myself as much as possible for this opportunity by watching several interviews and reading as much material by him as I could in the few days leading up to the event. The turnout was much larger than I was anticipating, so I didn’t get a chance to ask him a question during the Q&A session, but I learned a lot from the questions others asked. In fact, there were moments when I felt like Viet Thanh was speaking directly to me, especially when he said, “the only thing that makes you a writer is to write.” I needed to hear that. He spoke about how  a passion project requires you to do something that no one cares about and you have to not care that they don’t care. The only way to achieve something is to take risks.

When Sandra Oh, who played one of the leading roles in the HBO adaptation of his Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Sympathizer, asked him about his writing process, Nguyen answered the same way he answered when we asked; he simply said that his process is, “suffering.” You have to put in hours and hours of work in order to achieve something. To be a writer is to suffer because you have to think critically about a world filled with injustice and still find a way to create something meaningful from it. It’s not an easy process, but it's worth it.

More specifically on the topic of contested spaces, my favorite part of the discussion was when Nguyen answered what home means to him. He explained that his concept of home will always be tied to his experience as a refugee. Growing up, he didn’t feel at home in the US or his parent’s home because they were always away working. It wasn’t until he was older that he was able to create a “home” for himself through his family and through writing. He explained that to be a writer, is to give a gift that can’t be reciprocated, and that creating a good home is similar because of the sacrifices you make for those you love. For him, home is the act of giving itself--an act of love--and he is able to do that through writing.

The Gaza Unveiled Experience and panel of guest speakers provided some fascinating insight into the current events surrounding the Palestinian Genocide and its history. Being able to explore a small cityscape in Gaza by clicking through various historical Architectual sites was a brilliant way to engage on a deeper level with these current events. I was especially struck by the juxtaposition between stunning stained glass religious cathedrals and the piles of rubble these buildings have been reduced to. It felt like I was paying witness to the destruction of a culture through post-war realities.

I especially appreciated the panel of speakers after doing the virtual tour because of the personal testimonies of some students who were directly affected. There were two Palestinian students who shared their experiences and I was thrilled to talk more one on one with them after the panel discussion ended.

It was also at this event that Abby and Olivia, two student activists, shared a BDS (boycott, divest, and sanction) petition. Before attending the Gaza Unveiled experience, I didn't know there were student activists on SLCC's campus. Meeting Abby and Olivia went on to shape a large portion of my research project for the semester and I plan to continue working with them!