About Me

I’m a historian and author drawn to enduring questions: What is a life well-lived? How do we create meaning amidst upheaval and build a more compassionate world? My work explores these questions through the lens of history and engaged Buddhism. I'm interested in how ancient wisdom speaks to contemporary challenges, and how radical transformation can come from simple and intentional daily life.

I’ve published in foundational history texts like the Cambridge History of the Vietnam War and the Journal of Vietnamese Studies as well as popular media platforms like Tricycle and On Being. I got my BA from Yale and PhD from Columbia University, where I researched how religious leaders navigated questions of modernization, independence, and representation in the decolonizing world. I’m a daughter of refugees from Vietnam.

My Work

My work is driven by a desire to heal and to transform the way we see ourselves in relation to the wider world. I’m a lifelong Buddhist ordained in the Order of Interbeing in the Plum Village tradition of Engaged Buddhism. I served as a Board Member and Co-chair of the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation for 9 years, and am committed to its mission of cultivating mindfulness and compassion to help people live happier and suffer less.

I write for spiritual seekers with intellectual curiosity, and for those who believe understanding the past can illuminate the way forward. I write for anyone interested in how we can live not just well, but wisely, creating conditions for flourishing that extend beyond ourselves to our communities and world.

I'm currently writing the biography of Thich Nhat Hanh, the monk who taught the world mindfulness. If you’re interested in keeping up with my work, subscribe below to receive monthly updates in your inbox.