OPEN UNIVERSITY OF THE LEFT presents:

Vietnam from the Inside: A Reading of Frances FitzGerald’s "Fire in the Lake"

Frances FitzGerald came to Vietnam in February of 1966, in her own words "very naive" about the war. Instead of following the troops like a dutiful war correspondent, she followed the historical and cultural roots of the Vietnamese revolution and the deadly but futile American effort to contain the forces of change. Her focus on politics rather than tactics produced a literary tour de force, a book that continues to resonate in an age of revived imperial aspiration and growing Third-World resistance.

Published in 1972, "Fire in the Lake: The Vietnamese and the Americans in Vietnam" won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award and the Bancroft Prize for history. It uses a variety of perspectives to break through cultural and ideological barriers and allow Western readers to see the war through Vietnamese eyes.

The presentation, by writer, critic and OUL board member Hugh Iglarsh, will look at the writer herself in her time, providing a useful context for the book’s wealth of insights.

The City of Chicago is now sponsoring the "Commit to Memory" program, as it prepares to unveil its Vietnam War memorial. "Fire in the Lake" brings back all the memories, and creates a context to understand the lessons of Vietnam.

WHEN & WHERE:
Thursday, September 29, 7:00 PM at Acme Art Works, 1741 N. Western Ave. at St. Paul Street, Chicago, two blocks south of the CTA Blue Line’s Western-Armitage stop. Food and beverages are available from the Black Water Café, located inside the Acme complex.

HOW MUCH:
$5 donation if you have it; more if you’re willing; no one turned away.