Vietnamese Writers' Association Weekly
From: Erica J. Peters
Date: 2009/3/4
Dear List,
I'm trying to find the first and second issues of the Vietnamese Writers' Association weekly, Văn, published in Hanoi on May 10th and May 17th, 1957. Judith Henchy has kindly started a search, but in the meantime I thought I would see if anyone on VSG has any suggestions for us.
I'm looking for an article on phở written in two parts by Nguyễn Tuân. Part I of the article was published in the May 10th issue and Part II was published in the May 17th issue (1957). The weekly publication was shut down in January 1958, according to Kim Ngoc Bao Ninh's A World Transformed. I have found excerpts of the article in Vietnamese, French and English, but would love to get my hands on an authoritative version of the original Vietnamese text.
Thanks,
Erica
Erica J. Peters
Culinary Historians of Northern California
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From: Judith Henchy
Date: 2009/3/4
Erica,
I can see this listed in the standard bibliographies, but I don't see it in the serial lists of either the National Library, or the General Sciences Library in HCM. It doesn't appear to be at the BNF and it's not on OCLC.
Anyone in Hanoi might try at the Viện Thông Tin Khoa Học Xã Hội library. I could try emailing them. It's really surprising that no library has this.
Best
Judith
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From: Jason Gibbs
Date: 2009/3/4
Would a reprint of the article work? It is included in Nguyen Tuan toan tap, vol. 4, pp. 34-54. There is a copy at the San Francisco Public Library.
Jason Gibbs
San Francisco
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From: Smith, William
Date: 2009/3/4
Dear Erica,
There is a full set of Van in the British Library in London - 37 issues I think. I am not sure how it got there but I was able to read it - including the Pho article - for my MA thesis some years ago.
best wishes,
William Smith.
Ford Foundation, Hanoi.
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From: Erica J. Peters
Date: 2009/3/4
Thanks, Jason, and others who have sent helpful suggestions. Does anyone have any thoughts on whether this volume (Nguyen Tuan toan tap) is likely to include an complete version of the original article? The article was controversial at the time; my concern is that it may have been edited to make it seem less political, and more just a paean to pho.
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From: Bradley Davis
Date: 2009/3/4
Dear Erica,
-Nguyễn Tuân Tuyển Tập- contains a reprint of the Phở article.
-NTTT-. Hanoi: NXB Van Hoc, 2005. pp536-550. It's in volume One.
best,
Bradley Davis
Adjunct Instructor
Department of History
Eastern Washington University