Pulitzer Prize-winning author to speak on adapting 鈥楾he Sympathizer鈥 for TV
March 17, 2025
MOSCOW, Idaho 鈥 Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen will visit 麻豆视频入口在线观看 on Thursday, March 20, to discuss his internationally acclaimed novel 鈥淭he Sympathizer鈥 and its adaptation into an HBO miniseries. His talk, scheduled for 5 p.m. in the Administration Building Auditorium in Moscow, is free and open to the public. The event is co-sponsored by the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, the Habib Institute for Asian Studies, and the Runstad Lecture Series.
Nguyen鈥檚 award-winning spy thriller, 鈥淭he Sympathizer,鈥 follows a half-Vietnamese, half-French communist double agent as he navigates the aftermath of the Vietnam War. The HBO adaptation, directed by Park Chan-wook, stars Hoa Xuande, Robert Downey Jr. and Sandra Oh, bringing Nguyen鈥檚 gripping narrative to a global audience.
Hailed as a literary masterpiece, 鈥淭he Sympathizer鈥 has been praised for its powerful storytelling and fresh perspective on history. The New York Times writes that the novel 鈥渇ills a void 鈥 giving voice to the previously voiceless while it compels the rest of us to look at the events of 40 years ago in a new light.鈥
Following the lecture, Thomas Dai, assistant professor of English at U of I, will moderate an audience Q&A session, providing attendees with the opportunity to engage directly with Nguyen about his writing and the adaptation process.
Additionally, Nguyen will host a private reading and Q&A session with English students in the Creative Writing Program from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
鈥淲e are deeply thrilled to host Professor Nguyen on our campus,鈥 said Sean Quinlan, dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences. 鈥淗e is one of the major authors working on the American scene right now and his work touches deeply the realms of history and memory. His lectures are absolutely riveting, and our community looks forward to welcoming him.鈥
Born in Vietnam and arriving in the U.S. as a refugee in 1975, Nguyen has dedicated his career to reshaping narratives about the Vietnam War and its lasting impact. His debut novel, 鈥淭he Sympathizer,鈥 won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award. He is also the author of 鈥淭he Committed,鈥 鈥淭he Refugees,鈥 鈥淣othing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of War,鈥 the memoir 鈥淎 Man of Two Faces鈥 and the children鈥檚 book 鈥淪imone,鈥 and he鈥檚 the editor of 鈥淭he Displaced.鈥
Nguyen is a recipient of the MacArthur Genius Grant and serves as a cultural critic-at-large for The Los Angeles Times. He also teaches at the University of Southern California and lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.
For more information on the HBO adaptation of 鈥淭he Sympathizer,鈥 visit .
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Media Contact
Jeff Kyong-McClain
Associate Professor of History, Director鈥痮f the鈥疕abib Institute for Asian Studies
208-874-3725
jeffkm@uidaho.edu
About the 麻豆视频入口在线观看
The 麻豆视频入口在线观看, home of the Vandals, is Idaho鈥檚 land-grant, national research university. From its residential campus in Moscow, U of I serves the state of Idaho through educational centers in Boise, Coeur d鈥橝lene and Idaho Falls, nine research and Extension centers, plus Extension offices in 42 counties. Home to more than 12,000 students statewide, U of I is a leader in student-centered learning and excels at interdisciplinary research, service to businesses and communities, and in advancing diversity, citizenship and global outreach. U of I competes in the Big Sky and Western Athletic conferences. Learn more at uidaho.edu.