Note: A recording of this event is available on the NC Libraries and Learning Commons website.
NC Libraries and Learning Commons is hosting a Living Library event in honour of Asian Heritage Month. The event, to be held on May 18 from 1 to 3 p.m. via Zoom, will feature NC Math Professor Jolie Phuong Hoang, who has authored two books about her family’s harrowing journey fleeing Vietnam in the 1980s.
Hoang’s debut award-winning novel, Anchorless (2019), tells the story of her family through the eyes of her father, who details the first and third times the family tried to escape Vietnam to seek a better. During the third and final attempt, Hoang’s father died.
In her most recent novel, Three Funerals for My Father (2021), Hoang completes her family’s story, telling it from both her perspective and that of her father’s ghost. The book, which was recommended by CBC Books as one of 57 works of Canadian nonfiction to read for Fall 2021, shares the experience of her family’s second escape attempt and their time spent in an Indonesian refugee camp before coming to Canada – experiences Hoang wasn’t ready to write about in Anchorless.
During the May 18 event, Hoang will discuss the connection between both books by zooming in on the writing style, voices and metaphors used. She said she is grateful to NC Libraries and Learning Commons for the opportunity to talk about her family’s story through the Living Library format. It’s a way for Hoang to share her experiences with others to shed light on the pain of human displacement.
“The drastic decision to leave the homeland was due to war, oppression, or natural disaster. No one wanted to make such a decision,” said Hoang. “Stories magically connect people. I hope hearing direct from the person who has experienced diaspora [will] generate more impact.”
Both Anchorless and Three Funerals for My Father are available for loan through NC Libraries and Learning Commons. Those who attend the Living Library event will be entered into a draw for a chance to win a copy of each title.
“We’re excited to be hosting the fifth installment of our Living Library event series,” said NC Libraries and Learning Commons Manager Gordana Vitez. “Jolie’s powerful books about her family’s heartbreaking experiences will certainly have an impact on participants. We’re grateful to Jolie for sharing her story with us during Asian Heritage month.”
#AsianHeritageMonth FREE EVENT!
Register NOW: t.co/81ZYIL9e1N@niagaracollege @GetInvolvedNC @yourNCSAC
@NiagaraClgeInt pic.twitter.com/GFRf9ADldP— Libraries and Learning Commons (@ncLibraries) May 5, 2022
NC employees, students, alumni and community members are welcome to register for the event, which will be moderated by NC Photonics Professor Alexander McGlashan. Hoang extended the invitation to McGlashan, who has been a colleague and friend to Hoang for nearly 20 years. McGlashan said he is honoured that Hoang put his name forward to act as moderator and shared that the event strikes a personal chord for him.
“I found this occasion some what serendipitous for me given that I’ve been working quite a bit on my own personal genealogy, which contains many ancestors that came here to escape the perpetual (pre world) wars in Europe, as well as war and persecution in the United States,” he said.
“Their written records are so important and precious to me in order to gain an appreciation for what they went through and what I have today in terms of a stable life. To me it also underscores how important Jolie’s books are in documenting her experience and sharing them not just with us, but with future generations.”
To register for this Zoom event, visit the NC Libraries and Learning Commons website.
To learn more about Jolie Phuong Hoang, follow her on Instagram @joliephuonghoang.
NC Libraries and Learning Commons Living Library series seeks to provide a forum for guest speakers to share their experiences firsthand. The living library concept, where books are people and reading consists of a conversation, has been adopted by organizations across the globe to challenge stereotypes, stigma, prejudice and discrimination. The NC Libraries and Learning Commons team hosted educational events for Treaties Recognition Week in Fall 2020, Black History Month in February 2021, Pride Month in June 2021 and National Indigenous Education Month in November 2021. Recordings are available on the NC Libraries and Learning Commons website.
