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Enduring Spirit of Vietnam

An afternoon of photography and poetry. Join the Library, Vietnam Society, and Politics and Prose for a conversation with Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai and Peter Steinhauer.

The organizers are pleased to present a special event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War: a conversation between award-winning Vietnamese author, Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai and celebrated artist photographer Peter Steinhauer. Over the past decades, Peter and Quế Mai have used their arts to foster peace, empathy and healing.

 The two artists will engage in discussions regarding inheriting the past and fostering hope for the future. Their talks will highlight how the arts have played a powerful role in promoting peace and building bridges for new generations. To honor more than 3 million people from Vietnam, the U.S. and several other countries who lost their lives in the war, Quế Mai will perform her poetry in Vietnamese and English. Peter will share his perspectives and photographs of Vietnam from the past 30 years, which captures his admiration for Vietnam’s beauty and deep respect of the Vietnamese people’s resilience, survival and creativity. 

The two artists will answer questions from the audience, help us commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War in the most meaningful ways, and suggest the work which we can all do together to contribute to global peace.  The talk will conclude with book signings.  Que Mai will sign her new poetry book “The Color of Peace” and Peter will sign his book “Enduring Spirit of Vietnam” which received the award "Best Photography Book of the Year” in 2007 by Photo District News (PDN).

The “Enduring Spirit of Vietnam” Talk will travel to major U.S. cities, including Seattle, Portland, Washington DC, Chicago, and New York, and to Vietnam, including Hanoi and Saigon.

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