Diana Khoi Nguyen’s poetry collection was named a must-read by Time magazine

“Root Fractures” by Diana Khoi Nguyen, has been named to Time magazine’s 100 Must-Read Books of 2024 list. Nguyen is an assistant professor in Pitt’s Department of English.

The poetry collection examines various points of inflection within a Vietnamese-American family. Her work examines familial grief, tracing her family’s history from the fall of Saigon through their immigration to the United States and examining her relationship with her mother.  

Nguyen also directs the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series. Her first collection, “Ghost Of,” was selected by Terrance Hayes for the Omnidawn Open Contest, was a finalist for the National Book Award and L.A. Times Book Prize.