WATCH: Quan Huynh on Finding Freedom From Behind Bars

Authors in the Tent is a professionally filmed series of interviews with established and emerging authors conducted in a tent Ona Russell purchased during the pandemic. Inspired by Boccaccio’s Decameron and the 1001 Arabian Nights, the tent—elemental, ancient, and ubiquitous—serves as a magical backdrop for literary conversation.

*

On the first episode, Ona Russell talks with Quan Huynh, author of Sparrow in the Razor Wire. The book details Huynh’s journey from behind bars after killing another man in a gang-related incident to being paroled from a life sentence in 2015 and creating his first company six months later to help those with criminal pasts.

***

This series is in support of the charities Tents-4-Homeless, PATH, Alpha Project, and VVSD.

Ona Russell holds a PhD in literature from UC San Diego where she also taught for many years. She is author of three award-winning historical mysteries and the recently released Son of Nothingness: A Novel of Appearances.

Quan Huynh has been described as a mighty warrior, a magician, and a mountain of goodness. He is the post-release program manager for Defy Ventures, a nonprofit helping those with a criminal past transform their lives through the journey of entrepreneurship. After spending twenty-two years in and out of correctional institutions, Quan was paroled from a life sentence in 2015 and created his first company six months later. The following year, he received the Peace Fellowship Award for his work with the Alternatives to Violence Project. Quan has been featured in Entrepreneur, spoken at One Last Talk, and has appeared on several podcasts.