Author Viet Thanh Nguyen to headline Kegley Institute’s spring lecture

Memorial lecture among several events being held by institute this semester

By California State University, Bakersfield

January 31^st, 2023

English professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen will be headlining the Kegley Institute of Ethics’ annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture this spring.

The event, titled “Identity, Immigration, and Memory: An Evening with Viet Thanh Nguyen,” will be held on April 26 at 6 p.m. in the Doré Theatre. It is free and open to the public.

Nguyen — who was born in Vietnam and moved to the United States with his family in 1975 as a refugee — will speak about the migrant experience and the struggle for migrants to find their voice and identity.

“Nguyen is not only a gifted writer, but also, a powerful and dynamic speaker. I can say, from experience, that his talk will be insightful, moving, and an event not to miss,” said KIE Director Dr. Michael Burroughs. “It is especially relevant for us and our diverse communities in Kern County that Nguyen can speak to his own identity as an immigrant and the significance of community, memory, and identity in our lives.”

Nguyen is the author of several books, including the New York Times bestseller “The Sympathizer,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2016 and is being adapted into a TV series for HBO.

His other novels include “The Committed” — a sequel to “The Sympathizer” — as well as “Nothing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of War” and “Race and Resistance: Literature and Politics in Asian America.”

Nguyen has also written for publications including The New York Times, The Atlantic and The Guardian.

In addition to his work as a writer, Nguyen is a professor of English, American studies and ethnicity at the University of Southern California. He also serves as the Aerol Arnold Chair of English at the university.

Here is the schedule for the rest of the events being held by the Kegley Institute this semester:

Feb. 24: KIE Faculty Colloquia Series: “Revisiting California’s Child Labor Regulations” with Dr. Gitika Commuri, 12 p.m. in the Provost’s Conference Room in Administration Building 101. This event is for CSUB faculty and staff only.

Mar. 9: “Ethics in Leadership: A Conversation with Raji Brar,” 6 p.m. in the Walter W. Stiern Library’s Dezember Reading Room. This event is free and open to the public.

Mar. 17: KIE Faculty Colloquia Series: “How to Navigate Conflict of Interest Issues” with Dr. Di Wu, 12 p.m. in the Provost’s Conference Room in Administrative Building 101. This event is for CSUB faculty and staff only.

Mar. 25: Wendy Wayne Day of Service, 8 a.m. Advance registration is required.

Apr. 13: Environmental Justice and Carbon Sequestration Panel, 6 p.m. in the Walter W. Stiern Library’s Dezember Reading Room. This event is free and open to the public.

Apr. 28: KIE Student Fellow Presentations, 12 p.m. in Humanities Office Building Room 1107. This event is for CSUB faculty, staff and students only.