Paul Christiansen in Literature
'I Wander Alone' and 'Your Shirt Button' by Nguyen Quang Than
"You told me not to look at you, it’s silly / Yet I want to gnaw you the way I gnaw bread ... the pack of ravenous dogs looked at me with night sea eyes / I wish they could gnaw me piece by piece."
'Your Shirt Button' and 'I Wander Alone' by Nguyen Quang Than
"You told me not to look at you, it’s silly / Yet I want to gnaw you the way I gnaw bread ... the pack of ravenous dogs looked at me with night sea eyes / I wish they could gnaw me piece by piece."
Thi Nguyen in Loạt Soạt
Saigoneer Bookshelf: Revisiting 'Dumb Luck' by Vu Trong Phung
Published in 1938, Dumb Luck, or Số Đỏ, remains one of Vietnam's most popular and controversial novels. Vu Trong Phung was fined by the French colonial administration in Hanoi in 1932 for his stark po...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
A Radio Program Puts Vietnamese Poetry in the Limelight With Bilingual Readings
"Lanterns Hanging on the Wind" features 18 poems read in Vietnamese and translated into English that span themes, styles, time periods and locations to give listeners a broad introduction to the natio...
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Saigoneer Bookshelf: Multitudes Contained in 'Red Thread' by Teresa Mei Chuc
Seeking, sucking, tonguing for each scrap of contained marrow: should a book of poetry labor over a single topic the way a mouth savors a soup bone? Or should it be akin to a buffet plate atop which t...
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Saigoneer Bookshelf: A Touch of Magical Realism in 'The Cemetery of Chua Village'
Vietnam transitioned to a market economy like an old train lurching to life: momentous shakes and shudders, steam bursting out busted gaskets, disheveled cargo tumbling from luggage racks, sparks shoo...
Vietnamese-American Writer Ocean Vuong to Release Debut Novel Next Year
Earlier this year, Vietnamese-American poet and writer Ocean Vuong won the prestigious 2017 T. S. Elliot Prize for his poetry collection Night Sky With Exit Wounds.
Vietnamese-Canadian Author Kim Thuy Among 4 Finalists for Nobel Prize Substitute
Vietnamese-born Canadian Kim Thuy joins the ranks of Vietnamese diasporic writers like Thi Bui and Ocean Vuong who are getting recognized by international literary awards.
Paul Christiansen in Literature
Vietnamese-American Author Thi Bui Wins High-Profile US Literary Award
An American Book Award is the latest accolade for Thi Bui's esteemed graphic novel The Best We Could Do.
Hanoi Autumn Book Fair Taking Place This Week
The event will be held from August 22 to 26 at Thong Nhat Park, running from 8am to 10pm every day.
Chris Humphrey in Literature
Alain de Botton Visits Vietnam: 'What I Want to Argue Is That Romanticism Has Been a Disaster for Love.'
It’s not often that a philosopher of Alain de Botton’s status visits Vietnam, so it was no surprise that all 50 seats on the upper floor of Toong Coworking Space were occupied, with most tickets snapp...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
Indigenous Species: Poetry Book Connects Vietnam and Indonesia
Massive fish die-offs, sewage-smothered lakes, natural parks gashed by cable cars, soot-sullied skies and overflowing landfills — when considering environmental issues, it is easy to view them fr...
Vietnamese Author Nguyen Ngoc Tu Wins German Literary Award for Female Writers
Vietnamese writers are slowly gaining more recognition on the international stage.
Paul Christiansen in Literature
Meet the Author of the Most Important Vietnamese Novel You've Never Read
When the wind strafes Da Ngan’s window, seedpods shake and rattle like spent bullet casings in the tamarind tree that Americans planted decades ago. They also built the large apartment complex where s...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
Riverbanks Silky With Ancient Songs : A Discussion With Writer Nguyen Phan Que Mai
“You writers have blood on your hands,” a Vietnamese man once told Nguyen Phan Que Mai in reference to the ability of poetry, stories and songs to have inspired young men and women into wars that clai...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
Writer Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai Brings Vietnamese-English, North-South Closer
“You writers have blood on your hands,” a Vietnamese man once told Nguyen Phan Que Mai in reference to the ability of poetry, stories and songs to have inspired young men and women into wars that clai...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
Rambutan Literary Gives Voice to Southeast Asians at Home and Abroad
This poem by Jenna Lee appears in issue five of Rambutan Literary and serves as a prime example of the graceful, poignant material that spans its first five issues. Founded in 2016, the magazine featu...
Children's Book Translator Receives Vietnam's First-Ever Andersen Literary Award
Inaugurated in 1996 by the Hans Christian Andersen Award Committee, the Fairy Tale of My Life Award has been presented to 65 organizations and individuals who help to preserve the legacy of Danish aut...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
In Rambutan Literary, a Home for Southeast Asian Voices From Around the Globe
This poem by Jenna Le appears in issue five of Rambutan Literary and serves as a prime example of the graceful, poignant material that spans its first five issues. Founded in 2016, the magazine featur...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
A Vietnamese-American Poet's First Return to Vietnam After Half a Century
The barking of a nearby dog forced Hoa Nguyen to pause mid-stanza. It was as if the canine was attempting to collaborate with her poem, a fitting start to the Year of the Dog. This young year saw the ...
