Longings, page 26
Trần Thanh Hà was born in 1971 in Quảng Trị and currently works as an editor in Hồ Chí Minh City. She is the author of six books and several short stories, published in such prestigious literary magazines in Việt Nam as Journal of Military Literature and Cửa Việt. Some of her stories have been translated into English. She graduated from the Huế University of Education in 1992 and started writing while teaching in Quảng Trị. Trần is a pioneer of Western-style detective fiction in Việt Nam, and her works are typically set in the nation’s central region, where nature is hostile, living conditions are harsh, and lives continue to be severely affected by the American War. Her fiction often portrays postwar human tragedies, the beauty found in daily life, adolescent confusion, and aspirations for change. The story “Desolate Grassy Hill” is set in central Việt Nam of the 1980s, a few years after the end of the American War, when the country was struggling with a slowly developing economy and prevailing poverty.
Trần Thị Thắng was born in 1948 in the northern province of Phú Thọ and studied literature at Hà Nội University in the late 1960s. When she was a child, her father introduced her to French literature, while her mother ignited in her a love for Vietnamese literature, especially works by Thạch Lam, Vũ Trọng Phụng, and Ngô Tất Tố. Trần fought in the war against the Americans and almost lost her life while hospitalized for malaria when the Americans bombed her hospital in 1971. She is both a poet and a fiction writer. In 2016, she was invited to participate in a creative writing workshop at the William Joiner Institute at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. Trần’s fiction often depicts the Vietnamese people’s diligence and morality. “After the Storm” is based on a true-life story and narrated in a journalistic style.
Trần Thùy Mai was born in 1954 in Hội An and is one of her generation’s most prominent feminist writers. She taught Vietnamese folklore at Huế College of Education for ten years before devoting herself to creative writing. Trần has published fourteen collections of short stories, one anthology of Vietnamese proverbs, one novel, and one long story for children. Some of her stories have been made into films and translated into English, French, Japanese, Chinese, and Swedish. In the United States, her story “The Ylang-Ylang Flower” is anthologized in Love after War (Curbstone, 2003). The story “Green Plum” portrays prostitution in central Việt Nam. Like many of her stories, “Green Plum” examines the emotions and aspirations of women living in a patriarchal society who frequently suffer poverty and social prejudices. Trần currently divides her time between San Francisco and Huế. Her literary work is set primarily in Việt Nam. In 2020, her historical novel, Queen Từ Dũ, was awarded Best Novel by the Việt Nam Writers’ Association and Best Book by the Institute for Research and Education Development. “Green Plum” was first printed in a collection of short stories titled Rain of the Afterlife in 2005.
Trịnh Bích Ngân was born in 1960 in Cà Mau, the southernmost point in Việt Nam, and studied literature and creative writing at the Hồ Chí Minh National University of Social Sciences & Humanities and the Nguyễn Du School of Creative Writing, respectively. Her award-winning novel, A Distorted World (2009), focuses on a disabled veteran who lost his legs in a border war and struggles with notions of the self. Trịnh believes that authors must embark on psychological journeys to understand their characters. She cites Pavlovich Chekhov as her greatest literary influence. Regarding marital issues, Trịnh believes that Vietnamese women of her own and previous generations often accept the status quo and refuse change in their lives. Men take advantage of women’s submissive, stoic, and sacrificial tendencies, which causes inequality in marriages.
Trịnh Thị Phương Trà, born in 1976 in Tuy Hòa City, inherited her appreciation for literature from her parents. Her father is a farmer whose life is attached to the fields, but he maintains a love of prewar poetry. Her first story was printed in a small journal when she was a college student. Her second story was published in Phú Yên’s Arts and Letters Magazine when she started her career as a journalist. She has published two collections of essays, one collection of short stories, and one book of unstructured writing. She writes about women’s dreams and destinies. In 2019, her short story “In the Light of Heaven,” which portrays cardiologists who help resuscitate the hearts of the dying, was awarded First Prize in the short-story contest “The Worker of Today,” hosted by the Lao Động News. “On the Rạng Riverbank” was inspired by a true love story that occurred in the aftermath of the American War in Việt Nam.
Võ Diệu Thanh, an elementary art schoolteacher, began writing while still in school. Her first story won First Prize in a literary contest. Yet, she was dubious about her literary talent, gave it up to focus on teaching, and didn’t write again for ten years. Võ has since published fifteen books across various genres, for both adults and children. She is currently planning to release numerous graphic novels: two written and illustrated by herself, five written by her and illustrated by another artist. She is also working on a narrative about the tumultuous life of a young Vietnamese traditional stringed-instrument virtuoso. “Boozing with a Khmer Rouge” was written while she was doing research on war and the devastating psychological effects of the fears of invasion. It portrays the bravery of women who are able to confront those fears. In the story, a warrior is not only a strong, weapon-wielding man in a uniform but also a brave and compassionate woman with a frail body.
Võ Thị Xuân Hà was a middle school math teacher before becoming a professional writer. She was born in 1959 in Thừa Thiên Huế, central Việt Nam, and now lives in Hà Nội, where she currently holds a full-time administrative position with the Việt Nam Writers’ Association. Her passion for writing led her to pursue an undergraduate degree in creative writing at the Nguyễn Du School of Creative Writing in the early 1990s. Võ has published numerous short-story collections and four novels. “Rice and Salt” is her first story to be translated into English and anthologized in Love after War (Curbstone, 2003). In her writing, Võ often conveys her belief in love, but goes beyond romantic notions, stating that she is interested in Buddha’s noble teachings about universal love and kindness, including the need to harm no sentient being. She also wants to ignite a passion for reading quality literature in today’s society, which is plagued by a narrow-minded education system. She views literature as a way to preserve Vietnamese culture. When asked about her writing for and about women, Võ said that because she is a woman, her narrative tone tends to be feminine and that a female author must fight for women’s equal rights and happiness. She does not want people to pity women for their weakness or submissiveness.
Permissions
Dạ Ngân, “White Pillows” (“Nỗi niềm gối trắng”), from Báo Nông Nghiệp Việt Nam, số Tết Đinh Dậu. Reprinted in Văn mới, 2016–2017. Copyright © 2017 by the author.
An Thư, “The Red Cushion” (“Bồ đoàn đỏ”), from Văn Nghệ Quân Đội. Copyright © 2020 by the author.
Trần Thùy Mai, “Green Plum” (“Trái xanh”), from the short-story collection Mưa đời sau. Copyright © 2005 by the author.
Nguyễn Ngọc Tư, “The Island” (“Đảo”), from Báo Nhân Dân hằng tháng. Copyright © 2014 by the author.
Tống Ngọc Hân, “Raindrops on His Shoulders” (“Mưa ướt áo ai”), from Báo Nhân Dân, số Xuân Canh Tý. Copyright © 2020 by the author.
Nguyễn Thị Châu Giang, “Late Moon” (“Trăng muộn”), from Báo Phụ Nữ and Văn Nghệ Trẻ. Reprinted in 100 Truyện ngắn hay Việt Nam thế kỷ 20, tập 5. Copyright © 2014 by the author.
Trịnh Bích Ngân, “The Eternal Forest” (“Cánh rừng vĩnh cửu”), from Văn Nghệ Quân Đội. Reprinted in the short-story collection Đường đến cây cô đơn. Copyright © 2014 by the author.
Kiều Bích Hậu, “Selecting a Husband” (“Chọn chồng”), from Báo Thanh Niên. Copyright © 2017 by the author.
Trầm Hương, “The Haunted Garden” (“Vườn ma”), from the short-story collection Những giấc mơ riêng. Copyright © 1998 by the author.
Trần Thanh Hà, “Desolate Grassy Hill” (“Miền cỏ hoang”), from Văn Nghệ Quân Đội. Reprinted in Tuyển truyện ngắn đoạt giải cao, 30 năm đổi mới, 1986-2016. Copyright © 1995 by the author.
Nguyễn Hương Duyên, “Longing in Vain” (“Bến đợi nhọc nhằn”), from Tạp chí Nhật Lệ. Copyright © 2002 by the author.
Niê Thanh Mai, “The Bitter Honey” (“Mật đắng”), from Báo Văn Nghệ. Copyright © 2020 by the author.
Trần Thị Thắng, “After the Storm” (“Đằng sau cơn bão”), from the short-story collection Đằng sau cơn bão Linda. Reprinted in 100 Truyện ngắn hay Việt Nam thế kỷ 20, tập 5. Copyright © 2014 by the author.
Phạm Thị Phong Điệp, “Mother and Son” (“Mẹ và con và trần thế”), from Văn Nghệ Quân Đội. Copyright © 2014 by the author.
Võ Diệu Thanh, “Boozing with a Khmer Rouge” (“Nhậu với Khmer đỏ”), from the short-story collection Cửa sổ hình tia chớp. Copyright © 2018 by the author.
Phạm Thị Ngọc Liên, “Innermost” (“Bên trong”), from Báo Phụ Nữ. Copyright © 2008 by the author.
Trịnh Thị Phương Trà, “On the Rạng Riverbank” (“Bên triền sông Rạng”), from Văn Nghệ Quân Đội. Copyright © 2020 by the author.
Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, “Spring Buds” (“Chồi non”), from Báo Tuổi Trẻ. Copyright © 2019 by the author.
Nguyễn Thị Kim Hòa, “The Smoke Cloud” (“Đỉnh khói”), from Văn Nghệ Quân Đội. Copyright © 2014 by the author.
Võ Thị Xuân Hà, “At the Border” (“Biên ải”), from Báo Nhân Dân cuối tuần. Copyright © 2018 by the author.
Đỗ Bích Thúy, “The Sound of Lip Lute behind the Stone Fence” (“Tiếng đàn môi sau bờ rào đá”), from Báo Tiền Phong. Copyright © 1994 by the author.
Tịnh Bảo, “Under the Blooming Silk Cotton Tree” (“Dưới bóng cây gạo nở hoa”), from the short-story collection Một nửa làm đầy thế giới. Copyright © 2019 by the author.
Quan Manh Ha, Longings
