September 14, 2009
Author Bich Minh Nguyen discusses 'Stealing Buddha's Dinner' at convocations
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Bich Minh Nguyen, associate professor of English and author of Purdue's first Common Reading Program selection "Stealing Buddha's Dinner," spoke to incoming Purdue students in two special convocations at the start of the school year.
Thousands of Purdue students attended each of the two sessions in Elliott Hall of Music, in addition to faculty and staff from around campus.
Provost Randy Woodson welcomed the students, telling them about how he enjoyed the book and how students could learn from Nguyen's experiences.
"Professor Nguyen's transition into American culture is not unlike the transition all of you are experiencing in coming to Purdue," he said. "This is a new culture for you. I hope you think about the lessons you can draw from this book that will enlighten you and help you in this important transition in your lives."
Ashley Scott, a senior in the College of Liberal Arts and a student member of the Common Reading selection committee, introduced Nguyen at the Aug. 23 convocations and noted that incoming students have to make many of the same adjustments that Nguyen made.
"Just as you all are doing right now, Bich had to adjust to new living situations, new foods, new neighbors, new languages, and prepare for all new experiences in a fairly short period of time," Scott told the students. "But in the midst of all of these changes, she also had to make sure that she didn't lose sight of her own goals."
Nguyen talked about her writing process, and specifically about selecting the genre of memoir to tell the story of her childhood.
"Memoirs aren't so much about what happened, but about how, and why, and what it all means," she said. "In many ways, writing a work of memoir is about looking back and realizing how much one did not know, and in some ways the college experience is like that too."
She encouraged students to continue to read throughout their lives and talked about how instrumental books have been in shaping her life.
"As a professor here in the English department at Purdue, I often ask my students, 'What did you read in high school and middle school?'" she said. "What I'm also asking is, 'How have the books you read shaped you now as a person, as a thinker?' I believe in the importance of reading works of literature that are as diverse and wide-ranging as possible. Books can serve as guideposts and as ways to give us permission. So often we need to read someone else's work in order to understand what can be done, felt, or said."
After Nguyen's remarks, students had the opportunity to ask the author questions about the book and her life. Questions ranged from how her family reacted to the book, to how growing up in the 1980s shaped her life, to what her current favorite foods are.
One student asked about why the author chose to focus the majority of the book on her early childhood.
"I was interested in exploring how identity gets shaped before we know it's getting shaped," Nguyen responded. "Self-awareness is an ongoing process, though, which is why college is such an exciting time. I will always look back on my first year of college with such joy and fondness."
Nguyen also signed books following the program. After having their copies of "Stealing Buddha's Dinner" signed by the author, Katie Gauen and Marisa Saner, first-year students in pre-pharmacy, both said they enjoyed the book and the program.
"It was very interesting to hear about how her family reacted to the book," Gauen said.
"I also enjoyed learning more about the background of her writing," Saner added.
Programming for "Stealing Buddha's Dinner" will continue throughout academic 2009-10. Faculty, staff, and students who would like to plan a program using the book are encouraged to submit the details of their events to the Student Access, Transition and Success Programs department using an online form at www.purdue.edu/sats/commonreading. Events will be posted on a public calendar and used to help assess the program in its inaugural year.
For more information about the program, visit www.purdue.edu/sats/commonreading or contact Andrew Koch, director of SATS and chair of the Common Reading Committee, at akkoch@purdue.edu.
CAPTION: Bich Minh Nguyen, associate professor of English and author of "Stealing Buddha's Dinner," talks to students after one of the convocations on Aug. 23.