Award-winning author Thi Bui to speak at LIGHT Common Read keynote
The cultural event, February 4 at 6pm, is free and open to the public in the Collins Alumni Auditorium
Cate Zenzen |
On February 4, Lipscomb’s LIGHT Program will host bestselling author Thi Bui as the keynote speaker for the 2019-20 Common Read. LIGHT offers students a chance to expand their knowledge and perspective of cultures around the world, and the Common Read continues this expansion through the written word.
Bui will speak at 6pm in Collins Alumni Auditorium with a book signing immediately to follow. The event is free and open to the public. Students are invited to a special meet and greet at 5pm.
Born in Vietnam, Thi Bui was part of the “boat people” wave of refugees who came to the United States near the end of the Vietnam War. Her debut book, “The Best We Could Do,” is a graphic memoir selected and nominated for multiple awards including an American Book Award.
Cori Mathis, assistant director of the LIGHT Program, said the Common Read “helps us to be good neighbors.” With 52 nations represented in the Lipscomb student body, Mathis recognizes that many students come from countries experiencing unrest. Bui’s timely narrative can resonate with some, and really change the mindset of others.
“We think our students will get a lot from her personal story. People may not always know that their stories impact students that sit next to them,” said Mathis.
While not required, the Common Read is a shared reading program that encourages the University as a whole to read and discuss a book in common. Some professors use it in their class curriculum, but faculty and staff are encouraged to read as well. The Common Read is just one of the many ways the LIGHT office works to incorporate cultural awareness into University experiences.
As a graphic memoir, Bui’s account will stand out from other novels. Mathis believes students will find this format appealing and also receive a “more holistic view of history.”
Past Common Reads include “Walking to Listen” by Andrew Forsthoefel and “Hidden Figures” by Margot Lee Shetterly.
Lipscomb’s LIGHT Program prepares students to live lives of active collaboration and engagement with communities and cultures all over the world. Through its globally focused curriculum and experiential learning, students will not only develop respectful attentiveness to diversity, but also increase their understanding of cultural practices, systems and institutional structures. Most importantly, they will respond to the call to love their neighbors as themselves.