January 14, 2009

Purdue professor's book selected for inaugural common reading program

Purdue’s Common Reading Initiative
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The selection, "Stealing Buddha's Dinner" by Bich Minh Nguyen, was announced during the Academic Leadership Forum on Tuesday (Jan. 13). A committee made up of 19 faculty, staff and students chose the book from more than 100 selections submitted by the campus community.

The committee narrowed the choices by considering the books on five criteria including the ability for the book to engage students and faculty from an array of fields of study and foster interdisciplinary dialogue; the book's ability to foster conversations about differences and cultural diversity; the book's relevance to a new student audience; the manner in which the book lends itself to curricular and co-curricular programming throughout the academic year; and the book's cost and availability.

The memoir shares Nguyen's story about growing up a Vietnamese immigrant in the Midwest in the 1980s and how she tried to be "more American" by consuming snack food, pop culture and music. Nguyen's family left Vietnam in April 1975 when she was 8 months old. The family relocated to Grand Rapids, Mich., where Nguyen grew up surrounded by images of the idealized blonde-haired American girl.

Nguyen's book will serve as a common academic experience for all new students, who will be encouraged to read the book before the start of the fall semester, said James L. Mullins, dean of libraries and co-sponsor of the effort.

"Common reading programs have been adopted at many universities, and this effort will help unite the new students, the campus and surrounding community," he said. "The book will be distributed to beginning and transfer students during the summer transition, advising and registration program, known as STAR, and will be disseminated electronically to international students and domestic students who are unable to attend STAR. We hope the program will serve to set high academic expectations for students from the beginning of their undergraduate careers at Purdue."

Faculty, staff and students sent in many book suggestions for the program, said co-sponsor Pamela Horne, vice president of Enrollment Management and dean of Admissions.

"The committee had many terrific nominations for the university's first year of the common reading program, and it's especially exciting that a book written by a Purdue author was selected," Horne said. "We're very appreciative of the group's work, and we look forward to seeing the variety of programs, events and activities that will spring forth from the common reading experience."

A number of curricular and co-curricular activities are already being planned in conjunction with the reading program, said Drew Koch, committee co-chair. Some of these include a convocation with the author speaking to all new students on the Sunday before the start of classes; activities within Boiler Gold Rush; and using the book as part of a research project in a communications course taught by professor Robin Clair during spring 2009. A subcommittee also is working on additional ways to link the book to courses and activities during the next academic year.

"Common reading efforts are a growing part of the coordinated first-year experience at many of America’s top colleges and universities," Koch said. "By instituting this program for fall 2009, the university is adding another initiative to its array of nationally recognized first-year experience efforts. My committee colleagues and I invite the campus community to use ‘Stealing Buddha's Dinner’ in conjunction with the programs or courses presently being planned for incoming students during the 2009-10 academic year. Doing so can enhance synergies across disciplines and administrative units."

"Stealing Buddha's Dinner" received the PEN/Jerard Award in 2005 for the memoir's manuscript-in-progress. It also has been named a Chicago Tribune Best Book of 2007, a Kiriyama Prize Notable Book and a Book Sense book.

Writer: Christy Jones, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu

Sources: Drew Koch, committee co-chair and director of Student Access, Transition and Success programs, (765) 496-3618, akkoch@purdue.edu

Marianne Ryan, committee co-chair and associate dean of Libraries, (765) 494-2900, marianne@purdue.edu

Pamela Horne, (765) 494-9116, pamhorne@purdue.edu

James L. Mullins, (765) 494-2900, jmullins@purdue.edu

Kayla Gregory, Libraries marketing associate, (765) 496-9610, kgregory@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

PHOTO CAPTION:
Ashley Scott, a junior in the College of Liberal Arts and a student member of the selection committee, announced the first book for Purdue’s Common Reading Initiative at the Provost’s Academic Leadership Forum on Jan. 13. She also read a statement from the author, Bich Minh Nguyen, who is a professor in the Department of English. (Purdue University photo/Mark Simons)

A publication-quality photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/+2009/horne-reading.jpg

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