Discussion with Brando Skyhorse

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We are almost ready to begin discussing The Refugees with Professor Brando Skyhorse.

One participant raised the question of whether the husband is the only character with dementia in the story, "I'd Love You to Want Me"

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Professor Skyhorse kicks off the discussion by telling us about his experience listening to Viet Nguyen at the Clemson Literary Writers festival in April 2017.

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Referencing the NPR article, Skyhorse quoted Nguyen's repeated insistence on being known as a refugee because Americans don't usually associate refugees with adding value to the dominant society. It's important to challenge that negative stereotype. http://www.npr.org/2017/02/10/5136940...

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Now discussing "I'd Love You to Want Me" None of the couple's kids helps much. Why is Vinh the intermediary?

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Professor Skyhorse references this book review of the collection: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/13/bo...

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Skyhorse references "appropriate cultural appropriation," chars have agency http://www.irosf.com/q/zine/article/1...

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Skyhorse discusses teaching "Someone Else Beside You" to undergrads. Students fascinated by dad character. I taught it too and my students were evenly divided in terms of whether Sam should take the first person protagonist back as the baby's father.

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The Refugees does not mark its protagonists very much w/gender or names at the beginning. Shows confidence