How our memory of war can shape the future

How our memory of war can shape the future

From Throughline by NPR

May 7, 2026 · 49 min

About this episode

The episode explores how our memories of war influence our future, featuring a conversation with Viet Thanh Nguyen.

All wars are fought twice: first on the battlefield, the second time in memory," writes Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen. This week on Throughline, we revisit our 2022 conversation with Nguyen about how the way we remember and selectively forget the ravages of war has the power to reshape our future. To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

People in this episode

Host: NPR

Guest: Viet Thanh Nguyen

Topics covered

  • memory of war
  • history
  • future implications
  • selective memory
  • cultural impact

Keywords

  • war memory
  • Viet Thanh Nguyen
  • history
  • cultural memory
  • future of war

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NPR

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