Author: The Convergence of Writing, Womanhood, and Family History

A conversation with Christina Vo and Lan P. Duong, celebrating Vo;s new memoir. Moderated by Dr. Isabelle Pelaud.

Vietnamese American authors Lan Duong and Christina Vo  delve into the intricate tapestry of writing, family, identity and girl/womanhood. This captivating event will feature discussions on Duong's vivid debut poetry collection, Nothing Follows, and Vo's introspective memoir, The Veil Between Two Worlds: A Memoir of Silence, Loss, and Finding Home, both exploring the complexities of Vietnamese American experiences.

Lan Duong's Nothing Follows traces the emotional and political journey of a refugee girlhood marked by brutality, joy, and longing. Her powerful narrative weaves together memoir and poetry, providing a raw and honest account of her family's resettlement in the United States amidst racism, objectification, and sexual violence.

Christina Vo's memoir, The Veil Between Two Worlds: A Memoir of Silence, Loss, and Finding Home, is a deeply reflective and ultimately joyful exploration of her quest for self-discovery, healing, and the concept of "home." Embarking on a transformative road trip with a close friend, Vo delves into her past relationships, her evolving understanding of her parents, and the early loss of her mother. She reconciles her past and present, while lifting the veil between the physical and spiritual realms. 

Vo has lived and worked in Hanoi, Vietnam for international organizations including UNDP, UNICEF, and Solidardad. Her experiences abroad also inform and influence her writing. She holds an MSc in social and public communication from the London School of Economics, and currently resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Vo holds a BS in Public Health from UNC Chapel Hill and an MSc in Social and Public Communications from the London School of Economics. 

Lan P. Duong is Associate Professor in Cinema and 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: Vietnamese American Poetry and Prose, Bold Words: Asian American Writing to Span the Centuries, Tilting the Continent: Southeast Asian American Writing, Frontiers: A Journal of Women’s Studies and Crab Orchard Review. She lives in Pasadena, California.

Books available at the event by Eastwind Books of Berkeley.

Connect:

Christina Vo - Website | Christina Vo - Instagram 

Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network - Website | Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network  - Instagram | Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network - Twitter