Viet Thanh Nguyen on hiding in plain sight

Author Viet Thanh Nguyen and 'Invisible Man'
Viet Thanh Nguyen discussed reading 'Invisible Man' on The Thread with Kerri Miller.
Portrait courtesy of BeBe Jacobs, book cover courtesy of publisher

On The Thread podcast, books are just the beginning. Host Kerri Miller talks with comedians, scientists and other big thinkers about how books and reading have shaped their lives.

Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen knows what it's like to be invisible in a crowded room. His family came to America as refugees from Vietnam and his work — including his novel "The Sympathizer" — explores the way immigrants are often ignored in this county in daily life, only to find themselves subjected to intense scrutiny in moments of crisis.

He spoke with Kerri Miller about Ralph Ellison's novel, "Invisible Man," a book he said inspired him to become the writer he is today.

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