War Trash | WBUR and NPR - On Point with Tom Ashbrook

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Thursday, October 28, 2004 at 11:00 AM EDT

War Trash

In every war there are prisoners, and in the terrible confines they are subjected to, they often have to choose between humiliation and humanity, between buckling-under and fighting back, and between surrender and survival. Making the right choice requires deep moral belief, and it requires a writer of the stature of Ha Jin to give us that moral perspective.

Ha Jin is a National Book Award Winner and former member of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. In his new book, “War Trash,” he tells the story of Chinese prisoners in a U.S.-run POW camp during the Korean War. Two generations and half a world away, the tale still has a strong echo to the historical moment we are living in now.

Hear a conversation with Ha Jin about war, captivity, conflict, and psychological warfare in a POW camp.

Guests:

Ha Jin, 1999 National Book Award and PEN/Faulkner Award winner for his novel, Waiting. His new book is War Trash.

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