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The Great Michigan Read |
The Michigan Humanities Council and Meijer announce the selection of Stealing Buddha’s Dinner by Grand Rapids native Bich Minh Nguyen (pronounced bit-min-win) for the Council’s 2009-2010 Great Michigan Read At the event, an Executive Declaration from Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm was read, proclaiming May 19th as “The Great Michigan Read Day.” The public announcement was held at the Meijer store on 5533 28th Street SE in Grand Rapids and broadcast over the Internet. Meijer and the National Endowment for the Humanities are leading sponsors of The Great Michigan Read. With a statewide focus on a single book, the Michigan Humanities Council’s Great Michigan Read encourages Michiganians to learn more about their state, their history, and their society. The Council’s free supporting programming will focus on three themes: immigration stories, cultural understanding, and contemporary history. “It’s an honor to be chosen for a program like this,” said Nguyen. “I hope that residents all over the state enjoy the book and that it stimulates all kinds of important conversations.” “The book is a perfect springboard for exploring these important issues,” said Janice Fedewa, executive director of the Council. “It’s a great read featuring an honest, youthful voice.”
Stealing Buddha's Dinner
Stealing Buddha’s Dinner is a memoir chronicling author Bich Minh Nguyen’s migration from Vietnam in 1975 and her coming of age in Grand Rapids, Michigan in the 1980s. Along the way, she struggles to construct her own cultural identity from a menagerie of uniquely American influences. The book is appropriate for adult and high school readers. Notably, the memoir was selected for the Read Along the Lakeshore program by 12 libraries in West Michigan this past winter. And, Purdue University recently selected the book for its inaugural Common Reading Program for entering students this fall. Nguyen is an associate professor of English at Purdue University. It was selected as a 2008 Michigan Notable Book.
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Coffee and Conversation
Café 1923 is located at 2287 Holbrook, Hamtramck, MI 48212.
| The Great Michigan Read is presented by the Michigan Humanities Council, the state affiliate of the National Endowment of the Humanities |  |