Viet Thanh Nguyen, the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Sympathizer talks with Reza about growing up in San Jose, identifying as a refugee writer, and learning to write for himself. Thao Nguyen (from Thao and the Get Down Stay Down) joins them to talk about the internal Orient/Occident divide, and then she plays her song “Age of Ice.”

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Follow Viet Thanh Nguyen @viet_t_nguyen

Follow Thao Nguyen @thaogetstaydown

Rough Draft is a Topic Original Series.

Hosted by Reza Aslan

Executive Produced by Reza Aslan, David Andreone, Alfredo de Villa, and Safa Samieyazde’-Yazd. Executive Producers for Topic, Ryan Chanatry, Anna Holmes, and Gena Konstantinakos. Production aid from Russell Sperberg.

Music and Theme by Jacob Snider. Sound by Sean Oakley. Editing and mixing by Will Stanton, with additional editing by Blake V.

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For transcripts and full credits, head to https://www.topic.com/rough-draft-podcast

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