April 30th marked 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War. The war looms large in U.S. culture— it’s been the subject of countless books and movies.

These works have often focused on American soldiers, but not so much on the experiences of everyday Vietnamese people living through the war.

Artist and writer Thi Bui’s 2017 bestselling graphic memoir The Best We Could Do started as an attempt to change that. It tells her family’s story of living through the war and ultimately leaving her birth country to come to the United States.

More recently, Thi co-edited an issue of the literary journal McSweeney's featuring work by artists from the Vietnamese diaspora. She talks to us about both those projects and reflects on her experiences as a mother.

GUESTS:

• Thi Bui: cartoonist, writer and artist. She’s author of the bestselling and award-winning graphic memoir, The Best We Could Do. Most recently she co-edited an issue of the literary journal McSweeney’s that was released to mark 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War.