Award-winning chefs Tu David Phu and Anh Luu speak with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen. ABOUT THE GUESTS Chef Tu David Phu , recognized as a San Francisco Chronicle Rising Star Chef, is a two-time TEDx speaker, Top Chef alumnus, acclaimed cookbook author, and storyteller. Growing up in Oakland, he began his culinary journey in his mother’s apartment garden, ultimately advancing to some of the nation’s top kitchens. His path has brought him to GiGi's, a Vietnamese-inspired wine bar in ...
Dec 27, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Writer Khue Pham and runner/writer/designer Thi Minh Huyen Nguyen converse with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen, pulitzer-prize winning author, and Philip Nguyen, Vietnamese-American studies scholar. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Khuê Phạm is an award-winning Vietnamese-German journalist and writer. A graduate of the London School of Economics, she worked for The Guardian and NPR’s Berlin bureau before becoming an editor at the weekly Die Zeit. In 2012, she co-wrote “Wir neuen Deutschen”, a non-fiction book about s...
Nov 29, 2024•50 min
Screenwriters Maegan Houang and Anchuli Felicia King converse with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen, pulitzer-prize winning author, and Philip Nguyen, Vietnamese-American studies scholar. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Maegan Houang is a writer/director based in Los Angeles and Michigan. She is currently a co-producer on The Sympathizer (HBO) and previously served as a story editor on Shōgun (FX) and a staff writer on Season 2 of Counterpart (Starz/MRC). She also co-wrote Jamojaya directed by Justin Chon (Blue Bayou,...
Oct 25, 2024•50 min
Journalist Tina Nguyen and sculptural/digital storyteller Tuan Andrew Nguyen converse with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen. ABOUT THE GUESTS TINA NGUYEN is a national correspondent and founding partner for Puck, covering the world of Donald Trump and the American right. Previously, Nguyen was a White House reporter for Politico, a staff reporter for Vanity Fair Hive, and an editor at Mediaite. Nguyen graduated from Claremont McKenna College and lives in Washington, DC. Tuan Andrew Nguy...
Sep 27, 2024•46 min
Writer KT Nguyen and multimedia artist Tammy Nguyen speak with guest host Ly Tran and host Philip Nguyen. ABOUT THE GUESTS Tammy Nguyen Bio Tammy Nguyen is a multimedia artist based in Easton, CT whose work spans painting, drawing, printmaking and book making. Intersecting geopolitical realities with fiction, her practice addresses lesser-known histories through a blend of myth and visual narrative. She is the founder of Passenger Pigeon Press , an independent press that joins the work of scient...
Sep 27, 2024•44 min
Artist and educator Phung Huynh speaks with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen about her recent projects. ABOUT THE GUEST Phung Huynh is a Los Angeles-based artist and educator with a practice in drawing, painting, public art, and community engagement. Her work explores cultural perception and representation. Huynh challenges beauty standards by constructing images of the Asian female body vis-à-vis plastic surgery to unpack how contemporary cosmetic surgery can whitewash cultural and rac...
Sep 20, 2024•27 min
Screenwriter and novelist Brandon Hoang and filmmaker Elizabeth Ai speak with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen. ABOUT THE GUESTS Brandon Hoàng is the author of the young adult novel Gloria Buenrostro Is Not My Girlfriend and the middle grade The Crossbow of Destiny . Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Brandon grew up coveting the Baby-Sitters Club books and slurping noodles. Before he was a writer, Brandon was an animation executive. Now a screenwriter by day and novelist by nigh...
Sep 20, 2024•41 min
Montagnard Degar writers H'Abigail Mlo and Y-Danair Niehrah speak with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen. ABOUT THE GUESTS H’Abigail (Abi) Mlo is a Montagnard American, Southerner, and writer based on Lenape Land (Philadelphia). As a student at UNC-Chapel Hill, she co-founded Voices of the Highlands to meet a long-time need in the Montagnard community for connection and storytelling (Instagram: @voicesofthehighlands). In 2021, she wrote a children’s book in four weeks with Room to Read t...
Sep 13, 2024•50 min
Lao writers Krysada Phounsiri and Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay converse with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen. ABOUT THE GUESTS Krysada Phounsiri is a Lao American award winning poet, professional dancer, optical engineer, and photographer. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a Physics & Astrophysics double major. He minored in Creative Writing with a focus on poetry. His poetry has been featured in various publications like the Journal of Southeast Asian American Education, SEARAC...
Sep 13, 2024•46 min
Podcaster and film producer Kenneth Nguyen and poet Oliver de la Paz converse with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen. ABOUT THE GUESTS Kenneth Nguyen is a Los Angeles based podcaster and film producer with over two decades in the Vietnamese media space. Kenneth hosts and produces The Vietnamese podcast with over 300 episodes recorded. Kenneth Nguyen was a founding partner of Wave Releasing, the first U.S. based Vietnamese language film distribution company. Kenneth managed distribution o...
Sep 06, 2024•43 min
Photographer An-My Le and writer Jamie Jo Hoang speak with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen. ABOUT THE GUESTS An-My Lê was born in Saigon, Vietnam in 1960. She currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. She was educated at Stanford University and at Yale University and has been the recipient of numerous awards including the MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellowships. Lê is currently the Charles Franklin Kellogg and Grace E. Ramsey Kellogg Professor in the Arts at Bard College, New York....
Sep 06, 2024•42 min
Graphic novelist and illustrator Thi Bui converses with guest host Susan Lieu about her projects, such as her book "The Best We Could Do." ABOUT THE GUEST Thi Bui was born in Vietnam and came to the United States in 1978 as part of the “boat people” wave of refugees fleeing Southeast Asia at the end of the Vietnam War. Her debut graphic memoir, The Best We Could Do (Abrams ComicArts, 2017) has been selected for an American Book Award, a Common Book for UCLA and other colleges and universities, a...
Aug 30, 2024•21 min
Chocolatier Wendy Lieu speaks with guest host Susan Lieu, her sister, about her journey to create her business, Socola Chocolates. ABOUT THE GUEST Wendy Lieu is the CEO and Chief Chocolatier of Socola Chocolatier, an award-winning chocolate company in San Francisco. Born in a Malaysian refugee camp, Wendy embodies the grit and optimism of the American Dream. A self-taught chocolatier, Wendy has been working with chocolate for over 20 years. At 19 years old, she and her sister launched Socola at ...
Aug 30, 2024•18 min
Scholar and anthropologist Allen Tran speaks with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen about his research publication, "A life of worry: Politics, Mental Health, and Vietnam's Age of Anxiety." ABOUT THE AUTHOR Allen Tran is an associate professor of anthropology at Bucknell University. He is the author of A Life of Worry: Politics, mental health, and Vietnam's age of anxiety , which is available on Open Access, and teaches classes on medical anthropology and Southeast Asia. This episode is ...
Aug 23, 2024•28 min
Youth Poet Laureate Alexandra Huynh converses with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen about her journey in poetry. ABOUT THE GUEST Alexandra Huynh is an 18-year-old Vietnamese American poet from Sacramento, CA. She is the 2020 Sacramento Youth Poet Laureate, a program of Sacramento Area Youth Speaks, and is a Western Regional Ambassador and the 2021 National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States. Alexandra began writing poetry in elementary school in the form of song. She gravitated to...
Aug 23, 2024•33 min
Children's book authoer Hanh Bui converse with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen about her book, "The Yellow Áo Dài." ABOUT THE GUEST At eight years old, Hanh Bui and her family left war-torn Vietnam for safety and a new beginning. After nine days at sea, they were rescued by the United States Navy. Hanh will always be grateful for the kindness of her first American helpers. Growing up, she connected with universal themes of family, friendship, and love in the books she read. However, sh...
Aug 16, 2024•34 min
Poet Angela Peñaredondo speaks with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen about their book "nature felt but never apprehended." ABOUT THE GUEST ANGELA PEÑAREDONDO is a queer Filipinx, interdisciplinary writer and educator. Peñaredondo is the author of nature felt but never apprehended (Noemi Press), All Things Lose Thousands of Times (Inlandia Institute, Winner of the Hillary Gravendyk Book Prize) and Maroon (Jamii Publications). Their work has appeared in The Academy of American Poets, Plei...
Aug 16, 2024•30 min
Chef and food writer Andrea Nguyen converses with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen about her cookbook, "Ever-Green Vietnamese" ABOUT THE GUEST Andrea Nguyen is a Vietnamese-born, American teacher, food writer, cookbook author and chef living in the San Francisco area. An expert on Asian cuisine and cooking methods, Nguyen has written numerous cookbooks on the food of her native Vietnam, as well as an account of her family's escape during the Fall of Saigon. This episode is sponsored by ...
Aug 09, 2024•37 min
Writer Beth Nguyen speaks with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen about her memoir, "Owner of a Lonely Heart." ABOUT THE GUEST Beth Nguyen, who has also written under the name Bich Minh Nguyen, is the author of three previous books: the memoir Stealing Buddha’s Dinner and the novels Short Girls and Pioneer Girl . Her awards and honors include an American Book Award and a PEN/Jerard Award from the PEN American Center. Nguyen’s work has also appeared in numerous anthologies and publications...
Aug 09, 2024•30 min
Award-winning poet Kimberly Nguyen converses with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen about her book, "Here I Am Burn Me." ABOUT THE GUEST Kimberly Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American poet and the author of ghosts in the stalks and Here I Am Burn Me . She is originally from Omaha, Nebraska but currently living in New York City. She is a graduate of Vassar College where she holds a degree in both English and Russian Studies. Additionally, she studied abroad at the University of Exeter in the Un...
Aug 02, 2024•35 min
Children's book author Angela Pham Krans speaks with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen about her book "Finding Papa." ABOUT THE GUEST: Angela Pham Krans, author of FINDING PAPA and WORDS BETWEEN US, enjoys writing humorous and heartfelt stories that highlight relationships between family, friends, and the community. When Angela is not writing, she enjoys traveling, hiking, and visiting bakeshops. Angela lives in Atlanta with her husband and two rambunctious dogs. Connect with her at http...
Jul 26, 2024•37 min
Fashion designer and entrepreneur Kathy Minh Bach converses with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen about her clothing brand, KAAREM ABOUT THE GUEST: Kathy Minh Bạch is a co-founder of Kaarem, a contemporary design brand based in Saigon, California and New York. Kathy was born in San Jose, CA, just four months after her parents arrived from the Bataan refugee camp in the Philippines. She was raised on bún riêu, New Wave music, Hong Kong cinema, and Paris by Night. Kathy studied architectu...
Jul 19, 2024•32 min
Writer Phong Nguyen speaks with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen about his book, "Bronze Drum." ABOUT THE GUEST: Phong Nguyen is the author of three novels: BRONZE DRUM (Grand Central Publishing, 2022), ROUNDABOUT (Moon City Press, 2019) and THE ADVENTURES OF JOE HARPER (Outpost19, 2016), winner of the Prairie Heritage Book Award; and two short fiction collections: PAGES FROM THE TEXTBOOK OF ALTERNATE HISTORY (Mastodon Publishing, 2019) and MEMORY SICKNESS (Elixir Press, 2011). He is co...
Jul 12, 2024•39 min
Poet and novelist Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai converses with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen about her recent publication, "Dust Child." ABOUT THE GUEST: Born and raised in Việt Nam, Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai (pronounced ŋwiən fα:n kwey mai ) is the author of the global best-selling novels The Mountains Sing and Dust Child, Winner of the BookBrowse Best Debut Award, the International Book Awards, the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award, the Nota Bene Prize, the Rhegium Julii Award, the La...
Jul 05, 2024•45 min
Yến Lê Espiritu, sociologist and professor of Ethnic Studies, speaks with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen about her research and writing on the refugee experience. ABOUT THE GUEST: Yến Lê Espiritu is an American sociologist. She is the author of Home Bound: Filipino American Lives across Cultures, Communities, and Countries. Her research focuses on immigration and refugee studies, Southeast Asian Studies, transnationalism, Asian American Studies, and US Militarism....
Jun 28, 2024•28 min
Poet and scholar Lan Duong speaks with hosts hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen about her work and involvement in writing "Departures: An Introduction to Critical Refugee Studies." ABOUT THE GUEST: Lan P. Duong is Associate Professor in Cinema & Media Studies at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. She is the author of Treacherous Subjects: Gender, Culture, and Trans-Vietnamese Feminism (Temple University Press, 2012). Duong's creative works have appeared in Watermark...
Jun 21, 2024•31 min
Poet Sophia Terazawa converses with host Viet Thanh Nguyen about her documents of resilience, upcoming projects with Deep Vellum Books, and more. ABOUT THE GUEST Sophia Terazawa is a poet and performer of Vietnamese-Japanese descent working with ghosts. A recent graduate of the University of Arizona MFA program, she is the author of two chapbooks, I AM NOT A WAR (Essay Press), a winner of the 2015 Essay Press Digital Chapbook Contest, and Correspondent Medley (Factory Hollow Press), winner of th...
Jun 14, 2024•30 min
Ethnomusicologist Dr. Alexander Cannon converses with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Nguyen about the way traditional Vietnamese music has evolved into its own contemporary sound. ABOUT THE GUEST Dr Alexander M. Cannon is an ethnomusicologist with research expertise in Vietnamese music and creativity studies. He is Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Birmingham, and serves as Co-Editor of the journal Ethnomusicology Forum and on the Executive Committee of the British Forum for Ethn...
Jun 07, 2024•29 min
Actors from The Sympathizer television show, Hoa Xuande, Fred Nguyen Khan, Duy Nguyen, Kayli Tran, PhanXine, VyVy Nguyen, and Tom Dang, converse with hosts Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Sympathizer, and Philip Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American Studies scholar. A video recording of the event can be found here . This episode was sponsored by the Vietnamese American Roundtable (VAR). VAR envisions a strong and unified Vietnamese American community that works towards ...
May 31, 2024•1 hr 51 min
French journalist Doan Bui converses with host Viet Thanh Nguyen about her books, upcoming projects, French gastronomy and more. ABOUT THE GUEST: Doan Bui is a French journalist born in Le Mans. She received the prix Albert-Londres 2013 for her report Les Fantômes du fleuve on migrants trying to penetrate Europe in Greece through Turkey, published by Nouvel Observateur. In 2016, she was awarded the prix Amerigo Vespucci for her work Le Silence de mon père.
May 31, 2024•30 min
