The Study Hall Podcast A Dystopian Satire About The Media Industry ft. Kevin Nguyen
Nov 25, 2025
Kevin Nguyen, features editor at The Verge and author of the novel My Documents, dives into his dystopian satire reflecting on the media landscape. He discusses unsettling parallels to Japanese American internment and critiques superficial DEI efforts in media. The conversation explores how journalism can exploit trauma while lampooning clickbait culture. Nguyen shares insights on juggling writing and editing, emphasizing the balance between sensationalism and serious reporting. His reflections highlight the ethical complexities in journalism and the influence of family history on storytelling.
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Near-Future Fiction Feels Uncomfortably Close
- Kevin Nguyen wanted a reality only a degree removed from ours to heighten plausibility.
- He now wishes he'd made it more extreme because real events feel too close to the book's premise.
Fragile Collective Memory Enables Scapegoating
- U.S. history textbooks vary by state, leaving many unaware of Japanese American internment.
- That fractured education lets authoritarian actions at home be treated as an "exceptional" moment.
Family Dropbox Sparked The Novel
- Kevin's father recorded oral histories of relatives and uploaded them to Dropbox.
- Listening revealed surprising contradictions about family stories and inspired parts of the novel.
