Viet Thanh Nguyen

Viet Thanh Nguyen is the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Sympathizer, Nothing Ever Dies, and, most recently, To Save and to Destroy. A recipient of the MacArthur Foundation and Guggenheim fellowships and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Nguyen is Aerol Arnold Chair of English and Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California.

Thao Nguyen, known for her distinctive blend of indie rock and folk, has continued to evolve artistically and personally since dropping the lengthy moniker of “Thao & The Get Down Stay Down” in 2021. Her latest album, 'Temple,' reflects a profound exploration of freedom and belonging. Balancing personal vulnerability with broader cultural commentary, Thao remains a prominent voice in the contemporary music scene. She is currently at work on her new album (out 2026) and her first book (Graywolf Press, out 2027).

Ben Arthur is an Emmy-nominated songwriter, and the producer and host of SongWriter, the podcast that turns stories into songs. Featured guests include Questlove, Joyce Carol Oates, George Saunders, David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, M.Gessen, and Steve Earle.

The last season and the upcoming season of SongWriter are supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation, and focus on elements of human flourishing like forgiveness, empathy, caregiving, and belonging. Episodes have focused on survivors of the Rwandan genocide, the complicated empathy in Maggie Smith's poem "Good Bones," and an original story from W. Kamau Bell about belonging in America. More information can be found at SongWriterPodcast.com

Professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University, Dr. Russell Jeung is an author of books and articles on race and religion. He's written Family Sacrifices: The Worldviews and Ethics of Chinese Americans (2019); Mountain Movers: Student Activism and the Emergence of Asian American Studies (2019); and At Home in Exile: Finding Jesus Among My Ancestors and Refugee Neighbors (2016). In March 2020, Dr. Jeung co-founded Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition that was awarded the 2021 Webby Award for "Social Movement of the Year." Dr. Jeung was named as one of the TIME 100 Most Influential Persons in 2021.