ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE OF WRITING The Writers Post LITERATURE & LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION VOLUME 5 – NUMBER 1 – JAN. 2003 Copyright © The Writers Post 1999-2003. Nothing in this issue may be downloaded, distributed, or reproduced without the permission of the author/ translator/ artist/ and The Writers Post. Creating links to place The Writers Post or any of its pages within other framesets or in other documents is copyright violation, and is not permitted.
Current issue: VOLUME 5 NUMBER 1 JAN. 2003
-------------------------> IN THIS ISSUE: Short story A Place for the Son of Man by N. Saomai. Poems Song Nhi - An open-hearted message from New York 9/11 addressing to mankind. Ngo Duc Diem – Ground Zero. Thanh Thanh – The Humane heart. Poem by Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh – Unending season. Poem by Hoang Loc – To Mississippi, translated by Thanh Thanh. Poems by Hoang Xuan Son, Luan Hoan – A Golden Fall in the Old Town, Washing my wife's clothes, translated by Huynh Sanh Thong. Poem by Zaak Fresh – When today is not enough. Note on translators Nguyen Ngoc Bich, Huynh Sanh Thong, Thanh Thanh Editorial note: All titles, except published titles posted in the PrintPubs section, are simultaneously published in the printed Wordbridge magazine's Winter issue. · Featured artist: NGUYEN KHAI Nguyen Khai was born in Hue in 1940 and graduated from the National School of Fine Arts in 1963. He is one of the founders of the prestigious association of Young Vietnamese Artists and won the Bronze Medal at a Spring Art Exhibition in Saigon even before his graduation. After six years under the Communist regime, Nguyen Khai and his family escaped by boat to Indonesia in February 1981 and chose California for resettlement (from the artist's statement) -----> Cover art Cui Xuong (30 x 40, oil on canvas, 1996)   ______________________________________________________ English literature SHORT STORY A Place for the Son of Man by N. Saomai (Click title) N. Saomai, born on 19 February 1940, started his writing in the early sixties, contributed to newspapers as a freelance writer based in Saigon, and to a monthly as a staff writer (from 1968 to 1971). His pieces were then published pseudonymously under many different pen names. He completed four novels (written in the period from 1962 to 1975), which remained unpublished during the Viet-Nam war. 'Can Nha', a novel having got past the military government's censors of the press, been ready to be published in 1974, was published 23 years later in the US, periodically in SongVan [USA: SongVan (ISSN 1089-8123), 1996-1997] and in book form in December 1997. Several excerpts from the novel were republished in Van magazine, (CA: Van Magazine, 1999), and in the anthology 'Tho van hai ngoai nam 2000', (Canada: Viet Thuong, 2000). Another novel, 'Bon no le trong den tho', was also published periodically in SongVan, issue 15, but this is the last issue before the discontinuity of the magazine in December 1999. N. Saomai is the founder and editor or editor-in-chief of the magazines: SongVan (ISSN: 1089-8123), The Writers Post (ISSN: 1527-5469), and Wordbridge (ISSN: 1540-1723). ÿ RETURN TO CONTRIBUTORS ÿ POETRY An open-hearted message from New York 9/11 addressing to mankind by Song Nhi. Song Nhi, born in Ha Tinh (Central of VN) in 1938, was a high school teacher, a newspapers columnist, the Director of Studies of Truong Minh Giang Center of Adults Education in Saigon (1967-1972), editor-in-chief of Huong Di Magazine published by the Federation of Student Associations of Van Hanh University (Saigon: 1965-1968), editor-in-chief of Mau Lua Magazine (1968), staff-writer of the Infantry Periodic (Thu Duc Infantry Academy, 1969-1970), a military officer seconded to the Administrative and Personnel Service at the Presidency, Chief of the Press Bureau (1971-1975), and staff writer of Quat Cuong Daily Newspaper. Emigrated to the US where he resettled in California in 1993, he resumed his writing career as a columnist for and contributor to Vietnamese daily newspapers and magazines in the US and Canada, including Duyen, Dat Dung, Vietnam Daily News, Thoi Bao, Chanh Dao, Chien si QG, Saigon Nho, Vien Xu, Dan Ta, Huong Viet, Saigon Post, Dien Dan PN. Co-founder and Executive Director of Coi Nguon Foundation of Poetry and Prose since 1995, Song Nhi is also the editor-in-chief of Trang Van Hoc Coi Nguon (Vietnam Times, Northern California), editor-in-chief of the electronic magazine Van Nghe Coi Nguon at the website: http://www.coinguon.org Mot Doi Khong Nguoi /A lifetime without Solace, poetry, is his first collection published in 1968, followed by several others: "Truong Ca Nguoi Viet Su" /The long symphony of a historian (1972), Tinh Con Trong Lang Quen / Love remains in forgetfulness (co-authored with Huynh Ngoc Diep, 1975), Tieng Hon Chien Ma / The hatred of combat cavaliers (US: 1996; second edition 2002), Ve Loi Di Xua / Back to the path of reminiscence (US: 1999), and Loi Tinh Tu – an audio book of his poems. Song Nhi has taken part or edited 12 anthologies of poetry and prose in the overseas. ÿ RETURN TO CONTRIBUTORS ÿ Ground zero by Ngo Duc Diem (Click title) Ngo Duc Diem, or Ngo Quoc Si (pen name), was born in 1942 in Ha Tinh, Central Vietnam. Graduated from the School of Pedagogy in philosophy major in 1963 and received his BA in Philosophy from Dalat University in 1964, he taught philosophy and literature at the schools: Vo Tanh, Le Quy Don, Thanh Tam, Hung Dao, Dang Khoa, Giu Se, Van Hoa, and Lam Bich Seminary in Nhatrang. In the period from 1972 to 1975 he chaired the Teacher Association in Khanh Hoa Province. Resettled in the US, he became the Executive Director of the Vietnamese Voluntary Foundation (VIVO), a foundation has served Viet refugees in San Jose and Stockton CA since 1984. "Den Em Nu Hong/ A rose bud for you" is his first poetry collection published in 1983. It was followed by three others: "Tam Khuc Luu Vong/ A Heart Song in Exile" published in 1994, "Do Trang/ The boat of poetry in the moonlight" in 1999, and "Hoa Co May" in 2002. Ngo Duc Diem is the editor of Ngay Ve/The Day of Return magazine (1983-1986), and is a staff writer of the magazines: Dien Dan Thanh Nien/Youth Forum, Nguoi Viet To Do/ Free Vietnamese, and Quan Diem/View Point. ÿ RETURN TO CONTRIBUTORS ÿ The humane hearts by Thanh Thanh (Click title) Thanh Thanh, pseudonym of Le Xuan Nhuan, who leads the "Xay Dung" literary group which, owing to the numerous books it had published, was recognized as a main branch of the Vietnamese Cultural Tree at the unique pre-1975 National Cultural Festival in Saigon in the '50s. In the States, he has published "Ve Vung Chien-Tuyen / Back to the Front Line" (memoirs, Van Nghe, 1996), "Con Ac-Mong /The Nightmare" (poems, The-Gioi Moi, 1998), "Canh-Sat-Hoa, Quoc-Sach Yeu-Tu cua Viet-Nam Cong-Hoa / The Police Plan, R-VN's Aborted National Policy" (memoirs, Xay-Dung, 2002).  He also writes and translates Vietnamese works into English poetry. His poems were frequently selected by American Poetry Associations and anthologized in Wind in the Night Sky, Best New Poems, Outstanding Poets of 1994, Best Poems of 90s, Best Poems of 1997, some poems were selected for the audio anthology The Sound of Poetry. Thanh Thanh is a member of American Poetry Association, and a lifetime member of The International Society of Poets. ÿ RETURN TO CONTRIBUTORS ÿ When today is not enough by Zaak Fresh (click title) Zaak Fresh, graduated from Bowling Green University in Bowling Green Ohio in Economics & English, began his writing as a freelance writer in 1999. Works have appeared in TimeOut New York Magazine, Castle Books, Ottawa Comedy Resouces, Gay Community Magazine, and in the websites: Clevermag.com, Augustcutter.com, Rhinosplode.com, Teachercircle.com, and Muscle.com. Zaak Fresh is a member of the Manitoba Writers Guild, Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, and National Association of Self Esteem. ÿ RETURN TO CONTRIBUTORS ÿ Return to top Vietnamese literature Unending season by Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh (Click title) Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh -- Her most recent book is Tron Vao Giac Mo Em, a collection of poetry published by Thanh Van Publisher (1997). This is the fourth book of the author, after O Doi Song Nay (a collection of short stories) published by Dai Nam Publisher (1989), Giot Le Xe Hai (a novel) published by Van Khoa Publisher, and Cuoi Dem Dai (a collection of short stories) published by An Tiem Publisher (1993). Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh's poems have appeared in numerous magazines. ÿ RETURN TO CONTRIBUTORS ÿ To Mississippi by Hoang Loc (Click title) Hoang Loc, born in 1943 in Quang Nam, started writing poem in the early 60's, received the 1971 Vietnam Pen's Award for poetry. Since 1960, Hoang Loc's poems have been published in number of literary magazines published in Vietnam and abroad. His first collection of poetry "Tho Hoc Tro" published in 1965 was followed by "Trai Tim Con Lai" (1971), and "Qua May Troi Suong Mua" (1999). Hoang Loc's poems have recently been translated into English, including "By the cemetery on Millington Street", "Reclaiming a rib" translated by Nguyen Minh Triet, and "To Mississippi" by Thanh Thanh. ÿ RETURN TO CONTRIBUTORS ÿ From PrintPubs. POETRY A golden fall in the old town by Hoang Xuan Son (click title) Hoang Xuan Son (real name) or Su Mac (pseudonym), born in Vy Da-Thua Thien (Vietnam) in 1942 (registered as 1947 in his birth certificate), teacher and public servant, was educated at universities from where he graduated: University of Saigon (Bachelor degree of Education -Western philosophy), and University of Dalat (Master of Business Administration). Hoang Xuan Son began writing poetry in 1963. His first poem 'Ngay be lon len' appeared in Van magazine in 1964 (the magazine was then under the editorship of Tran Phong Giao, published by the publisher Nguyen Dinh Vuong), was followed by many others published in Van, Chinh Van, Nghien Cuu Van Hoc, Khoi Hanh, Thoi Tap, Nha Van magazines... In 1981 he left Vietnam for Canada where he settled. Vien Pho, his first collection of poetry, was published in 1989 by Viet Chien Publisher. His most recent book Hue Buon Chi, a collection of poems, was published in 1993. Beside these two publications, Hoang Xuan Son's poems reappeared in numerous literary magazines, anthologies, and electronic literary magazines on the World Wide Web published based in the United States and Canada. A new poetry collection Tho Quynh and a CD titled Quynh Huong that presents the songs of ten distinguished songwriters are in preparation. "A golden fall in the old town" republished in this "From Print Publications" section is translated by Huynh Sanh Thong, submitted to TWP by the author. ÿ RETURN TO CONTRIBUTORS ÿ Washing my wife's clothes by Luan Hoan (click title) Luan Hoan or Tran Gia Nam, pseudonym of Le-Ngoc-Chau, poet and short story writer, author of 17 collections of poems published under the pseudonym Luan-Hoan. Luan Hoan's recent collection of poems Co Hoa Goi Dau was published by SongVan in 1997, after Nuoi Thom Chum Ky Niem Xanh -Canada: 1995, Moi Em Len Ngua -US: Song Thu 1994, Cam On Dat Da Tro Tho -US: Kinh Do 1991, Dua Nhau Ve Den Dau -US: Song Thu 1989, Ngo Ngac Coi Nguoi -US: Nhan Van 1989, Hoi Tho VietNam -US: Song Thu 1986, Ruou Hong Da Rot -1974, Luc Bat Ca -1970, Ca Dao Tinh Yeu -1970, Tho Tinh -1970, Nen Huong Cho Ban Chan Trai -1970, Hoa Binh Oi, Hay Den -1970, Vien Dan Cho Nguoi Yeu Dau -1969, Chet Trong Long Nguoi -Nguong Cua 1967, Troi Song -Van Hoc 1966, and Ve Troi -Van Hoc 1964. "Washing my wife clothes" republished in this "From Print Publications" section is translated by Huynh Sanh Thong, submitted to TWP by the author. ÿ RETURN TO CONTRIBUTORS ÿ Return to top Notes on translators Nguyen ngoc Bich translator of "Undending season" Nguyen Ngoc Bich, educator, lecturer, author, translator, born in Hanoi Vietnam, educated in Saigon, the US, Japan and Europe, received his B.A. in Political Science from Princeton University in 1958. He did graduate work in Asian studies at Columbia University (1959-65), Japanese literature at Kyoto University (1962-63) bilingual education and theoretical linguistics at Georgetown University (1980-85). In 1975, he came to the US, settled in Virginia, where he taught adult education, elementary school and high school in Arlington, then Vietnamese Literature and Vietnamese Culture and Civilization at Trinity College, George Mason University, and taught at Georgetown University as a teacher trainer in bilingual and Multicultural Education. He is also one of the founders of National News Service, which provides news of interest to readers of Vietnamese language newspapers worldwide. In 1997, he joined RFA (Radio Free Asia) as the Director of the Vietnamese Service at Free Asia in Washington DC. Nguyen Ngoc Bich is the author of several books mainly in English, editor of the anthology War and Exile: A Vietnamese Anthology, an anthology of stories and poems, published by Vietnamese PEN Abroad East Coast Center in the US (1989). His first book 'The Poetry of Vietnam' published by Asia Society of New York in 1969 was followed by three others: North Vietnam: Backtracking on Socialism (1971), An Annotated Atlas of the Republic of Vietnam (1972), and A Thousand Years of Vietnamese Poetry (Knopf, 1975). He co-authored with his wife, Dr. Dao Thi Hoi, a bilingual collection of Christmas carols (1975), and had a hand in doing a photography book by Tran Cao Linh, Vietnam, My Country Forever (Aide à l’Enfance du Vietnam, 1988), the catalogue of a traveling exhibition of Vietnamese and Vietnamese American paintings, An Ocean Apart (Smithsonian, 1996), the book Thai Tuan: Selected Paintings and Essays (VAALA, 1996). In the field of translation, he translated into English Truong Anh Thuy’s Truong Ca Loi Me Ru / A Mother’s Lullaby published (1989), a book on Vietnamese Architecture published (1972), two verse collections by Nguyen Chi Thien: Hoa Dia Nguc / The Flowers of Hell (1995) and Hat Mau Tho / Blood Seeds Become Poetry (1996), and poems by some poets living in the US. ÿ RETURN TO CONTRIBUTORS ÿ Thanh Thanh translator of "To Mississippi" by Hoang Loc. Thanh Thanh, pseudonym of Le Xuan Nhuan, who leads the "Xay Dung" literary group which, owing to the numerous books it had published, was recognized as a main branch of the Vietnamese Cultural Tree at the unique pre-1975 National Cultural Festival in Saigon in the '50s. In the States, he has published "Ve Vung Chien-Tuyen / Back to the Front Line" (memoirs, Van Nghe, 1996), "Con Ac-Mong /The Nightmare" (poems, The-Gioi Moi, 1998), "Canh-Sat-Hoa, Quoc-Sach Yeu-Tu cua Viet-Nam Cong-Hoa / The Police Plan, R-VN's Aborted National Policy" (memoirs, Xay-Dung, 2002).  He also writes and translates Vietnamese works into English poetry. His poems were frequently selected by American Poetry Associations and anthologized in Wind in the Night Sky, Best New Poems, Outstanding Poets of 1994, Best Poems of 90s, Best Poems of 1997; some poems were selected for the audio anthology The Sound of Poetry. Thanh Thanh is a member American Poetry Association, and a lifetime member of The International Society of Poets. ÿ RETURN TO CONTRIBUTORS ÿ Huynh Sanh Thong translator of "Washing my wife clothes". Huynh Sanh Thong, professor, Chair of Viet Nam Forum and coordinator of the Vietnamese Study Center at Yale University. ÿ RETURN TO CONTRIBUTORS ÿ CONTRIBUTORS Hoang Loc Hoang Xuan Son Luan Hoan Ngo Duc Diem Nguyen Ngoc Bich N. Saomai Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh Song Nhi Thanh Thanh Zaak Fresh Return to top Vietnamse Poets and Writers Abroad (Compiled and listed by LUAN-HOAN) The list of Vietnamese Poets and Writers Abroad aims to provide information on Vietnamese poets and writers living abroad. We apologise for any deficiency, to the reader, and to any poet or writer whose name is not in the list as information is not available. (Note to the reader: All poets, fiction writers, and non-fiction writers alphabetically listed in the list are published authors. The listings includes the name of the author, genre identity, residency information or information on birth and death as the author passed on, and publications, which are symbolized as follows: Name of the author: in bold letters Genre identity: P = Poet -- FW = Fiction writers -- W = Writer Residency information: (...) name of country in parentheses. Information on birth and death: (...) place of birth, year of birth, and year of death, place of death in parentheses. Pubs: Publications could either be fiction, non-fiction, or poetry. An asterisk (*) before "Pubs" stands for "His", indicating the author is a male, otherwise, a female. Thus, *Pubs is to be understood as His publications. Example: Binh Nguyen Loc (BienHoa/South Vietnam 1914-1987 USA) -- FW -- *Pubs: .... is read: Binh Nguyen Loc, born in BienHoa South Vietnam in 1914, died in 1987 in the US, is a fiction writer. His publications...       or Bac Phong (Canada) -- P -- : Bac Phong, living in Canada, is a poet.) LISTING BY AUTHOR: A-B LISTING BY AUTHOR: B JUMP TO AUTHORS BEGINING WITH: A B C D G H I K L M N O P Q R S T U V X Y Binh Nguyen Loc /or Phong Ngan, pseudonym of To Van Tuan (BienHoa VN 1914-1987 USA) -- FW&W-- born in 1914, novelist, author of hundreds of bestsellers. The novels Do Doc, Gieo Gio Gat Bao were widely regarded as representative works in the novel category. Binh Nguyen Loc was born on March 7 1914 in Tan Uyen Bien Hoa (South Vietnam), died on March 7 1987 in the US. *Pubs: Hundreds of bestsellers, including Do doc, Gieo gio gat bao, Ky thac, Nhen cho moi ai, Ai an thau ngan cho dai tiec thuong, Bong ai qua ngoai cua, Hoa hau Bo Dao, Nua dem trang sup, Dung hoi tai sao, Mua thu nho tam, Tinh dat, Nhung buoc lang thang tren pho cua ga BNL, Mot nang hai chang, Quan tai heo, Tham lang, Tram nho ngan thuong, Uong lon thuoc tien, Can Gio, Diem Phuong, Sau dem bo rap, Cuong ron chua lia, Khi Tu Thuc ve tran, Nguoc goc Ma lai cua dan toc Vietnam, Lot tran Viet ngu. UPDATED VERSION... (Click here for the listings) Return to top The Writers Post Anthology SHORT STORIES, POEMS from current, and previous issues: Short Stories Enter the city -- Tran Gia Nam Thanks, happy death -- N. Saomai Weigh anchor to run -- Nguyen Thi Hoang Bac The old man who believed only what he saw -- Vo Ky Dien The battlefield -- Tran Hoai Thu Eva -- Song Thao The lucky compulsive gambler -- Pham Nguyen Luong The young woman who practiced singing -- Duong Nhu Nguyen Woman behind the billboard -- Hoang Thi Bich Ti The stirring red -- Le Thi Hue The Ghost of Ha Tay – Uyen Nicole Duong The Plastic Duck lantern – GTV A Place for the Son of Man – N. Saomai Poems Flee, darling, into my dream -- Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh The mountain -- Song Ho Year-end Blues -- Dinh Cuong The colors of time -- Doan Phu Tu This is not the first time -- Hoang Thi Ngoc Huong Snow -- Hoang Xuan Son The compass of command transferred to a friend -- Luan Hoan Farewell music, Purification -- Pham Manh Vien Secular tree -- Song Ho White summer night -- Vu Thi An Alongside -- Hoang Xuan Son To welcome you, my love -- Creation -- Pham Manh Vien Volunteer -- Dung Nham A painter's Crossing -- Tu Huynh Country-You-Happiness -- Song Ho To a lonely child -- Song Ho Father and son -- Hoang Xuan Son The nouriture of hair -- Hoang Xuan Son The nightingale's death -- Song Ho Art -- Tu Huynh Thoughts of poetry – Song Ho Forked roads – Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh Words – N. Saomai Of tree-frog, and Clown – Hoang Xuan Son Untitled – Hoang Xuan Son By the cemetery on Millington Street – Hoang Loc Reclaiming a rib – Hoang Loc April -- Dien Nghi A two-faced world – Song Vinh An open-hearted message from New York 9/11 addressing to mankind – Song Nhi Ground zero – Ngo Duc Diem The humane hearts – Thanh Thanh When today is not enough – Zaak Fresh Unending season – Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh A golden fall in the old town – Hoang Xuan Son Contact: N. Saomai, Editor, The Writers Post PO. Box 832464 Miami, Florida 33283 USA E-mail: songvan@msn.com ______________ Return to top Return to Contents HOME The Writers Post, based in the US, established on July 1999.	Published authors and artists featured in The Writers Post current issue: Hoang Loc Hoang Xuan Son Huynh Sanh Thong Luan Hoan Ngo Duc Diem Nguyen Ngoc Bich N. Saomai Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh Song Nhi Thanh Thanh Zaak Fresh VIETNAMESE POETS AND WRITERS ABROAD The listings provide information on Vietnamese Poets and Writers living Abroad (clickhere). CONTRIBUTORS' BIO Photographs and factual information on contributing authors (click here) A Note On Submissions ... Any essay, review containing libel, invasion of privacy, obscenity, substantial disruption will not be accepted. As always, translations and poems will not be edited. The author/ translator should check the work for typing errors before submitting. On the work(s) published in The Writers Post the author/ translator owns the copyright. The publisher may contact the author/ translator if interested in featuring the work(s) into print publication. (See a note on submissions). THE WRITERS POST Anthology -- Fiction, Poetry from current, and previous issues – FEATURES: · WORDBRIDGE Magazine Wordbridge, the magazine of literature and literature in translation, under the editorship of N. Saomai, published biannually, launched in March 2002. N. Saomai, editor, The Writers Post & Wordbridge FEATURES: · VIETLINKS Inside links to original versions of the translations published in The Writers Post. To read these Vietnamese versions you need the VPS font. Please click here enter VIETLINKS CULTURAL EXCHANGES · VIETNAMESE literature and Western writers The Vietnamese language, simplified into crystallization through its evolution over many thousands of years, is used by Western writers as they introduce their works into the Vietnamese literary community. Works in Vietnamese by Western writers such as IRINA's and Y LAN's were acclaimed by interested readers.