“When does a war end? When can I say your name and have it mean only your name and not what you left behind?”
The room fell silent as a small circle of students reflected on these words by Ocean Vuong.
On Thursday, Feb. 22, students gathered at the Otter Cross Cultural Center (OC3) to read selected passages of Vuong’s work from “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” and “A Letter to My Mother That She Will Never Read.”
The reading group was a part of OC3’s Book Chats, a series of reading groups exploring the work of diverse authors in hopes of facilitating conversations about different social justice themes. The latest installation of Book Chats seeks to explore how experiences of trauma, such as war and discrimination, can be passed down through generations.
“Sometimes, I imagine the monarchs fleeing, not winter, but the napalm clouds of your childhood in Vietnam.” Vuong is a Vietnamese American writer and poet whose work explores the theme of intergenerational trauma as felt through his mother’s experience of growing up in the Vietnam War.
“Unfortunately, every kind of civilization and people have experience [with trauma] or went through some type of war,” said Peter Xiong, program coordinator for the OC3. “Sometimes these stories echo the same themes,” said Xioung, drawing attention to how these experiences of trauma can be shared across cultures. Xiong was quick to note, however, that these shared experiences are not strictly negative.
“Intergenerational experiences are not just tied to trauma, but also to healing, like gifts that were passed down to you from each generation,” Xiong said. This sharing of stories and experiences is what led the OC3 to create their series of Book Chats. “The thought was to provide more spaces for folks to be able to be with other folks who read … it’s just like a way to find inspiration but also be in conversation.”
The impact of these conversations was made clear by the personal connections participants made with the readings. “I think [Book Chats] are really cool, you’re hearing different points of view. You can sit back, relax and just listen,” said fourth-year John Meyers.
“I think I needed it,” said third-year Moncerat Navarro Carpio, speaking on the value of connecting with the stories of others through reading groups such as Book Chats. “I always say that stories are meant to be held and when I share my stories with others I always say ‘hold them with grace and hold them with care.’”