So many writers say they write to figure out what they believe or make sense of a situation.  says she writes to overcome self-doubt and to celebrate her voice. More than that, she says her words connect her to others, and the best part of putting a book in the world is the feedback she gets from readers who say that her story touched them in a deep and meaningful way. In the latest episode of the , host  interviews  about her memoir, , which took six years to write after landing a contract simply by the strength of her pages as presented to a professor. Ly came to America at the age of 3, a Vietnamese refugee who was a sweatshop worker as a child and spent a decade failing school as her vision deteriorated. Literature was her only refuge, holding books close to her face to commune with characters. With the gift of a pair of contacts at high school graduation, she eventually made it to Columbia University, where instructors saw her gifts and encouraged her to write her incredible story.&nbsp; In this episode,  and Ly discuss:&nbsp;  Her parents’ response to her truth-telling: “You do what you need to do.” Finding identity in food and language Embodying multiple conflicting identities The myth of  Realizing that she’s not like other kids and learning to find her own way How books can be our salvation  How to honor family and values while assimilating Her next book, a historical novel about the  The need for strong Asian-American voices  Links and Resources:&nbsp;          Find Ly Tran:        Coming up next on the :  interviews , founder of  and author of

Episode 127 – Ly Tran – Writing Unapologetically

Lionel Bradford is president and executive director of The Greening of Detroit, a nonprofit devoted to creating sustainable growth for a healthy, urban community through trees, green spaces, food, education, training and job opportunities.  

Lionel has a bachelor’s degree in urban forestry from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and began his career as a forestry technician with the U.S. Forest Service in New Mexico.

The Make Meaning Podcast

Episode 28 – Greening of Detroit

Lynne Golodner has dedicated her life to sharing stories about how people find meaning in the mundane. In her new podcast, Make Meaning, launched in 2018, Lynne shines the spotlight on meaningful people doing meaningful things and living lives filled with purpose.

Episode 127 – Ly Tran – Writing Unapologetically

Make Meaning Podcast

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