Viet Thanh Nguyen
@vietthanhnguyen.bsky.social
I'm a writer. I don't believe in voices for the voiceless. Abolish the conditions of voicelessness instead.
Books include The Sympathizer, The Committed, A Man of Two Faces, The Refugees, and To Save and to Destroy: Writing as an Other.
Books include The Sympathizer, The Committed, A Man of Two Faces, The Refugees, and To Save and to Destroy: Writing as an Other.
Last time I spoke with Ocean Vuong was in 2017 at the Los Angeles Public Library. Delighted to speak with him again for ÁCCENTED: DIALOGUES IN DIASPORA, the podcast of the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network.
November 6, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Last time I spoke with Ocean Vuong was in 2017 at the Los Angeles Public Library. Delighted to speak with him again for ÁCCENTED: DIALOGUES IN DIASPORA, the podcast of the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network.
Back in Austin! At the great Texas Book Festival, in conversation with Gregory Cowles.
November 4, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Back in Austin! At the great Texas Book Festival, in conversation with Gregory Cowles.
Excited to moderate this screening of two important docs, Cathy Linh Che's WE WERE THE SCENERY, about her parents' experiences being Vietnamese extras in Apocalypse Now--that movie should never be taught w/o Cathy's film--and THIRD ACT, about key director Robert Nakamura.
tinyurl.com/4nekzws8
tinyurl.com/4nekzws8
October 30, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Excited to moderate this screening of two important docs, Cathy Linh Che's WE WERE THE SCENERY, about her parents' experiences being Vietnamese extras in Apocalypse Now--that movie should never be taught w/o Cathy's film--and THIRD ACT, about key director Robert Nakamura.
tinyurl.com/4nekzws8
tinyurl.com/4nekzws8
Tomorrow! Los Angeles! What was the first Vietnamese American novel I read? Trần Văn Dĩnh's Blue Dragon, White Tiger, first published in 1983.
October 21, 2025 at 3:02 AM
Tomorrow! Los Angeles! What was the first Vietnamese American novel I read? Trần Văn Dĩnh's Blue Dragon, White Tiger, first published in 1983.
I'm excited to come back to West Virginia to give the McCreight Lecture, where I'll be talking about the power and danger of storytelling, especially in our United States today, where storytelling is inseparable from how we think of ourselves and our nation, who belongs and who doesn't.
October 18, 2025 at 10:36 PM
I'm excited to come back to West Virginia to give the McCreight Lecture, where I'll be talking about the power and danger of storytelling, especially in our United States today, where storytelling is inseparable from how we think of ourselves and our nation, who belongs and who doesn't.
I would vote for him if I could — because he is one veteran who actually sounds like he’s genuinely antifa
October 17, 2025 at 5:22 AM
I would vote for him if I could — because he is one veteran who actually sounds like he’s genuinely antifa
I finally get to host our podcast, ÁCCENTED: DIALOGUES IN DIASPORA, live, in San Francisco, this Saturday evening with our radio partner @KALW! Come see us live with authors Aimee Phan and Christina Vo.
www.eventbrite.com/e/accented-l...
www.eventbrite.com/e/accented-l...
October 16, 2025 at 7:10 PM
I finally get to host our podcast, ÁCCENTED: DIALOGUES IN DIASPORA, live, in San Francisco, this Saturday evening with our radio partner @KALW! Come see us live with authors Aimee Phan and Christina Vo.
www.eventbrite.com/e/accented-l...
www.eventbrite.com/e/accented-l...
I'm a huge fan of the musician Thao Nguyen, so it's amazing that I'll have the chance to share the stage with her at Litquake. She'll perform a new song written just for the occasion, inspired by my book TO SAVE AND TO DESTROY: WRITING AS AN OTHER. How cool is that?
October 12, 2025 at 1:13 AM
I'm a huge fan of the musician Thao Nguyen, so it's amazing that I'll have the chance to share the stage with her at Litquake. She'll perform a new song written just for the occasion, inspired by my book TO SAVE AND TO DESTROY: WRITING AS AN OTHER. How cool is that?
All you need to know
October 10, 2025 at 10:01 PM
All you need to know
Very much looking forward to talking to some amazing people, including old friends, in this online book chat about TO SAVE AND TO DESTROY: WRITING AS AN OTHER. Come hang out with me and Saree Makdisi of UCLA, Ricky Rodriguez of UC Riverside, and Natalia Molina of USC.
October 9, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Very much looking forward to talking to some amazing people, including old friends, in this online book chat about TO SAVE AND TO DESTROY: WRITING AS AN OTHER. Come hang out with me and Saree Makdisi of UCLA, Ricky Rodriguez of UC Riverside, and Natalia Molina of USC.
My copy of László Krasznahorkai’s The Melancholy of Resistance and a typical two pages. The whole book is formatted thusly. How many American writers would dare? I love the title too.
October 9, 2025 at 4:24 PM
My copy of László Krasznahorkai’s The Melancholy of Resistance and a typical two pages. The whole book is formatted thusly. How many American writers would dare? I love the title too.
The MacArthur Fellowship is a life-changing award. I'm glad to see two of them go to the artist Tuan Andrew Nguyen and the novelist Tommy Orange.
October 8, 2025 at 7:02 PM
The MacArthur Fellowship is a life-changing award. I'm glad to see two of them go to the artist Tuan Andrew Nguyen and the novelist Tommy Orange.
So being against racism and fascism and standing with one’s community for self-defense is now considered a crime? Shame on UNC.
This is Dwayne Dixon. I know Dwayne and the students testifying to how great of a professor he is in the comments on Instagram are as shocked as I am.
This is Dwayne Dixon. I know Dwayne and the students testifying to how great of a professor he is in the comments on Instagram are as shocked as I am.
October 1, 2025 at 5:48 AM
So being against racism and fascism and standing with one’s community for self-defense is now considered a crime? Shame on UNC.
This is Dwayne Dixon. I know Dwayne and the students testifying to how great of a professor he is in the comments on Instagram are as shocked as I am.
This is Dwayne Dixon. I know Dwayne and the students testifying to how great of a professor he is in the comments on Instagram are as shocked as I am.
White nationalist tattoos and fat commanders-in-chief with felony convictions are ok, however.
October 1, 2025 at 12:24 AM
White nationalist tattoos and fat commanders-in-chief with felony convictions are ok, however.
A friend sent this picture of the new French translation of A Man of Two Faces in Paris. Unfortunately, because of tariffs, my publisher can’t send me the book. Thanks, Trump!
September 29, 2025 at 5:23 PM
A friend sent this picture of the new French translation of A Man of Two Faces in Paris. Unfortunately, because of tariffs, my publisher can’t send me the book. Thanks, Trump!
There is now a Center for California Literature! Long overdue. Please come to the kickoff event with Aja Monet, Ryan O’Connell, Roxane Gay, and myself on Oct. 3 at the wonderfully named Giovanni’s Room in LA.
September 27, 2025 at 6:41 PM
There is now a Center for California Literature! Long overdue. Please come to the kickoff event with Aja Monet, Ryan O’Connell, Roxane Gay, and myself on Oct. 3 at the wonderfully named Giovanni’s Room in LA.
Netanyahu had fewer attendees than an 8am panel at the MLA.
September 26, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Netanyahu had fewer attendees than an 8am panel at the MLA.
It was never about criminality or invasions or about the distinction between legal and illegal immigrants. Trump and the MAGA movement hate immigrants overall. THEY START WITH THE MOST VULNERABLE AND WILL GET TO EVERY IMMIGRANT OR REFUGEE EVENTUALLY. That will include birthright citizenship too.
September 26, 2025 at 5:19 PM
It was never about criminality or invasions or about the distinction between legal and illegal immigrants. Trump and the MAGA movement hate immigrants overall. THEY START WITH THE MOST VULNERABLE AND WILL GET TO EVERY IMMIGRANT OR REFUGEE EVENTUALLY. That will include birthright citizenship too.
If Trump says this, then hopefully many of the people who listened to him today will understand that this is a racist, cruel, and ultimately self-destructive policy for so many countries that actually benefit from the cultures, values, and labor that immigrants bring.
September 24, 2025 at 4:10 AM
If Trump says this, then hopefully many of the people who listened to him today will understand that this is a racist, cruel, and ultimately self-destructive policy for so many countries that actually benefit from the cultures, values, and labor that immigrants bring.
We have been shadowbanned on this event and yet we are nearly sold out…come help us sell out and show your love and support for Palestine and Gaza.
www.ticketmaster.com/voices-for-g...
www.ticketmaster.com/voices-for-g...
September 21, 2025 at 5:10 AM
We have been shadowbanned on this event and yet we are nearly sold out…come help us sell out and show your love and support for Palestine and Gaza.
www.ticketmaster.com/voices-for-g...
www.ticketmaster.com/voices-for-g...
Thinking about our commandant-in-chief, who loves to mock but can’t bear being mocked
September 19, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Thinking about our commandant-in-chief, who loves to mock but can’t bear being mocked
Definitely Dear Leader territory. And Republicans are upset if you say the word “fascism.”
September 18, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Definitely Dear Leader territory. And Republicans are upset if you say the word “fascism.”
The Republican Party that hated racial quotas sure does seem to like racial quotas
September 17, 2025 at 4:40 PM
The Republican Party that hated racial quotas sure does seem to like racial quotas
Another compelling factor was Israeli troops’ “extensive and deliberate” targeting of Palestinian children, Mr. Sidoti said. Medical workers testified they had treated many children with direct gunshot wounds to the head and upper body.
September 16, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Another compelling factor was Israeli troops’ “extensive and deliberate” targeting of Palestinian children, Mr. Sidoti said. Medical workers testified they had treated many children with direct gunshot wounds to the head and upper body.