Beth Nguyen, Author & Professor
Published May 14, 2023 by pgalums in
In real life, Bich Minh Nguyen now goes by the name Beth Nguyen – Beth is an award-winning writer and professor. In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, we wanted to share a conversation from the other podcast Modern Minorities – which features minority voices for all of our majority ears.
Born in Saigon, Beth is the author of books like Stealing Buddha’s Dinner, Short Girls, Pioneer Girl, and Owner of a Lonely Heart – her memoir in essays about post refugee life coming out later this year.
Beth 2021 New Yorker article – “America Ruined My Name For Me” unpacks a necessary conversation about identity, adaption and assimilation – especially for those whose name is not hard to pronounce or understand. A refugee and a mother, Beth’s moving work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The New York Times, and Literary Hub. Beth’s awards and honors include an American Book Award, a PEN/Jerard Award from the PEN American Center, a Bread Loaf fellowship, and best book of the year honors from the Chicago Tribune and Library Journal. Beth has taught at Purdue University and the University of San Francisco – she is and is currently a professor of creative writing at the University of Wisconsin. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about growing between the cultures of two worlds