Understanding through the Wounded Heart
From: Chung Nguyen <Chung.Nguyen@umb.edu>
Date: Mar 23, 2006 4:25 PM
Subject: [VSG] Understanding Through the Wounded Heart, a short piece of writing of unique depth
I would like to share with VSG a short piece of writing I just by chance
come across in Dien Dan journal, issue 160 (Mar 2006). It's a personal
narrative by Nguyen Ngoc, one of the most respected voices in Vietnam today.
the former editor in chief of Van Nghe journal during the Doi Moi period,
and the publisher/incubator of what's now known as the Doi Moi literature,
with Nguyen Huy Thiep, Bao Ninh, Duong Thu Huong, and other authentic voices
of Vietnamese writings.
It's a short piece, 2 and 1/2 pages, called "Brother S., my friend." Having
been working in the area of cultural exchange with Vietnam since 1988, I
have witnessed all manners of misunderstanding, all kinds of failed attempts
at communication, and a little success here and there.
Nguyen Ngoc's short piece represents, for the first time, a level of
understanding of pre-1975 Southern society that is unique, if not unparalled
in current literature. Many of us in this list would recognise brother S., a
well-know writer in Washington D.C., who, I am sure, from Nguyen Ngoc's
narrative, must have come to understand the pre-1975 world of
revolutionaries of the likes of Nguyen Ngoc in the same way.
Vietnam has been unified since 1975, but only geograhically. Now, 31 years
later, there is definite the sign of spring - at least on the personal
level: a writer and exile from Saigon, and a old revolutionary-writer from
Hanoi, have finally recognized each other as each truly is, the deep lover
of their people, of their history, and the tragic distances that have
separated them.
Nguyen Ba Chung
http://zdfree.free.fr/diendan/articles/nouveau.html
Anh S., bạn tôi - Nguyên Ngọc ... hoá ra tôi, chúng tôi, những người kháng chiến chống Mỹ, chủ yếu lăn lộn ở trên rừng những năm tháng ấy, chúng tôi quả thật không hề biết rằng trong các thành phố miền Nam ngày ấy còn có một bộ phận đời sống như thế, với những con người như thế (...) các anh cũng vậy, các anh ngày ấy cũng bị cái gọi là lịch sử cụ thể đó che lấp đi một mảng rất lớn của hiện thực.
[This article, however, is not one of those available on the web. I enclose
this message to Nguyen Ngoc Giao, Dien Dan's editor in chief, with the hope
that he would make an exception and kindly make it available.]
From: Vu Thanh Tu Anh <anhvt@fetp.vnn.vn>
Date: Mar 23, 2006 10:55 PM
Subject: RE: [VSG] Understanding Through the Wounded Heart, a short piece of writing of unique depth
For those who have not been able to download the piece written by Nguyen Ngoc.
http://mail.google.com/mail/?view=att&disp=vah&attid=0.1&th=10a2ad195cb453e2
From: Chung Nguyen <Chung.Nguyen@umb.edu>
Date: Mar 24, 2006 7:26 AM
Subject: Re: [VSG] Understanding Through the Wounded Heart, a short piece of writing of unique depth
Dear Tu Anh:
Thank you so much: Your text is a fuller version of the piece, which Dien
Dan edits it down to
less than 3 pages. Hope the Fulbright school is still as vigorous as ever,
to wake up the many siesta-sleepy students in that rambunctious city. Please
say Hi to Ben and chi Chau for me.
-Chung
From: Diane Fox (dnfox) <dnfox@hamilton.edu>
Date: Mar 26, 2006 8:54 AM
Subject: Re: RE: [VSG] Understanding Through the Wounded Heart, a short piece of writing of unique depth
Dear Chung--
Many thanks for everything--the story, your comments, and the piece on
Trinh Cong Son. Does anyone have a way of sending it in another format-
-one that substitutes diacritics for question marks...or even gets rid
of all marks?
Diane
From: Chung Nguyen <Chung.Nguyen@umb.edu>
Date: Mar 26, 2006 10:51 AM
Subject: RE: RE: [VSG] Understanding Through the Wounded Heart, a short piece of writing of unique depth
Dear Diane:
It's a mystery because that message I receive back from VSG is perfectly legible, but not the one in yours !
That piece by Tuong Lai could be read at:
http://www.trinh-cong-son.com/tuonglai.html
Many, many thanks !
Nguyen Ba Chung
From: DHAUGHTON@bentley.edu <DHAUGHTON@bentley.edu>
Date: Mar 26, 2006 10:54 AM
Subject: RE: RE: [VSG] Understanding Through the Wounded Heart, a short piece of writing of unique depth
Greetings to all, it reads perfectly on my computer too. Could it be a
matter of having VN fonts installed? All the best, Dominique
From: Romi <wearevn@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Mar 26, 2006 8:31 PM
Subject: RE: [VSG] Understanding Through the Wounded Heart, a short piece of writing of unique depth
Diane,
Go back to Chung's email, try View -> Encoding -> Unicode (UTF-8) (or More -> Unicode (UTF-8) if you can't find)
If this does not work then you should have Unicode installed in your computer...
Good luck!
Romi