The arts and sciences department of Vaughn College opened this year’s speaker series with guest speaker Chang-Rae Lee on Wednesday, September 13. Lee is the author of “Native Speaker,” a novel that’s included in the Vaughn common reading book series for english and literature courses for first-year to third-year level students. He is a professor of creative writing at Stanford University, and the winner of multiple literary awards, including the 2011 Dayton literary peace prize and the 2014 national book critics award.

“When you’re reading a novel you want to hear the writer’s individual perspective, you want to hear their unique voice,” said Lee. “Being raised in Queens gave me an experience that has been an inspiration for my work.”

Chang-Rae Lee spoke to students on his graduate school career, and how sharing experiences and using that as a tool will aid your education. More than 100 students attended the guest speaker lecture and were able to ask questions following the remarks. “Through sharing, in novels like Native Speaker, students strengthen the sense of community campus-wide,” said Margaret Ducharme, chair of the arts and sciences department.

For more information on upcoming speakers, click here for the Vaughn calendar.