All 300 seats in the Hughes-Trigg ballroom were filled in anticipation of seeing NoViolet Bulawayo, SMU grad and author of “We Need New Names.”
The writer, whose book was chosen as the common reading selection this year, drew upon her own experience as an immigrant as inspiration for her book, which follows a young Zimbabwean girl’s move to America.
Her speech stressed the importance of names and their meanings. Bulawayo, for example, chose her name, which means “With Violet,” in honor of her late mother, and pays homage to the city of Bulawayo, the cultural center of her country.
Bulawayo believes that our names are more important than we realize; they serve to stand the test of time, which people cannot.
“The people will die,” she said, “the names will remain… bearing witness, so we don’t forget.”
