As if complementing each other, if poetry is the subtle, poignant reflection in the quiet, lingering moments of the soul, then essays are like a direct wave, stirring up and opening up spaces for life to surge forth, urging the rhythm of life to flow. With the recently published collection of essays and prose, "Heart and Love," Lê Tuấn Lộc's more than 40-year writing journey adds another milestone, allowing us to feel the breath and heartbeat of his heart for the land and people of Thanh Hoa province, for the hopes nurtured in the passage of time.
Sacred mountains are sacred because immortals reside there. Similarly, a land is sacred because of its outstanding people. Without people, a land would be nameless on the cultural and historical map of humanity. Reflecting on this, we see that Le Tuan Loc has chosen a viable perspective and approach when he writes about the people of Thanh Hoa in modern times, who are shaping the image and character of their homeland, and more broadly, contributing to the new vitality of the entire country on its journey of construction and development.
The collection "Heart" and "Love" comprises 26 essays and memoirs, divided into two parts: 14 essays on "Heart" and 12 essays on "Love." This structure doesn't seem to indicate an intention to differentiate themes, inspirations, or rely on a clear cause-and-effect, primary-subordinate, or coordinate structure. These two parts are merely separated rhythms, creating pauses and reducing the burden of narrative writing for the reader.
The essence of the words "Heart" and "Love" lies in people. Accordingly, with figures like Mother Tơm, Phạm Quang Nghị (former Secretary of the Hanoi City Party Committee), People's Artist Thiếu Hoa (Conductor, Head of the Department of Composition Theory and Orchestra Conducting, Vietnam National Academy of Music), cultural researcher Hoàng Tuấn Phổ, Labor Hero Nguyễn Hùng Dũng (former General Director of Vietnam Petroleum Services Joint Stock Company), Doctor and lawyer Lê Xuân Thảo (General Director of Hải Tiến Investment and Tourism Company - Thanh Hóa), Minh "Râu" - Trần Đức Minh (Chairman of Triso Group), Nguyễn Văn Tuân (former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vinaconex Corporation), Lê Xuân Sơn (former Editor-in-Chief of Tiền Phong Newspaper), Nguyễn Ngọc Xuân (Owner of Taki Taki restaurant)... readers will sense Lê Tuấn Lộc's approach of placing people at the core of his memoirs.
Moving from characters to events, from individuals to communities, and considering the relationships, influence, and contributions of individuals to the era in which they lived, is the approach and working style of Le Tuan Loc. From this perspective, we first see that the characters mentioned all originate from Thanh Hoa province. They are prominent, famous, successful figures who have made outstanding contributions to the community, bringing honor to their homeland and country. More importantly, when examining Le Tuan Loc's essays, we see his keen eye for people and events, his assessment of the times, his heartfelt feelings towards the characters and events, and his hopes for a better life.
Le Tuan Loc's writing is not ornate or elaborate. The essay genre, due to its objective and accurate nature—relying on real people and events—is also very restrained, wary of "creative" language, imagery, or fictional possibilities. However, it is precisely in this restraint that Le Tuan Loc's essays retain their sincerity, providing a foundation for his heartfelt emotions to reach the reader in the most intimate way.
It's true that outstanding individuals create a sacred land, but it seems incomplete. Studies in ethnology, cultural anthropology, human geography, and history have revealed the influence of spatial formations on the character and cultural history of ethnic groups in those regions. Perhaps Thanh Hoa is a prime example that allows us to think of the place where the "Thanh Hoa people" are born, nurtured, and produced. Isn't it true that, through the writings of Le Tuan Loc, we see a politician like Pham Quang Nghi with a bright heart and a spirit of integrity; a People's Artist Thieu Hoa with world-class orchestral conducting talent; a cultural researcher with the distinctive character and spirit of Thanh Hoa like Hoang Tuan Pho; a Tran Duc Minh – Minh "the bearded one," who, through his efforts with Triso Group, has truly transformed Vietnamese medicinal herbs into green gold, contributing core values to the community; and a Labor Hero like Nguyen Hung Dung, who is truly an inspiring example for everyone in overcoming personal difficulties...
In the characters of Le Tuan Loc's memoirs, it's not difficult to recognize the faces of successful entrepreneurs. In a sense, the business and commercial environment (the marketplace is like a battlefield) in this open era is the most accurate measure of human talent, intelligence, ethics, and dignity. But this is not simply the light we see in the present. It is the light of effort, involving a great deal of time, dedication, and intellect, overcoming the harsh circumstances of fate or the times, and accepting failures as valuable lessons. What we see today is only the tip of the iceberg that has traversed countless dark and icy oceans. Fortunately, Le Tuan Loc has helped us realize this. Therefore, the value of Le Tuan Loc's memoirs lies in providing readers with information, stories, and inspiring journeys, so that we may believe in human strength, willpower, and talent. And, stepping back, at a reasonable distance, we realize that they all have one thing in common: they all come from Thanh Hoa province - a land that possesses all the conditions (both favorable and unfavorable) to forge, mold, and refine human character.
If I could name another part – another place – I would also like to add about the words "Heart" and "Love" that Le Tuan Loc has sown and revealed through space. In another place, there are other people, other stories, but the sentiments remain full, warm, and tolerant, and the talent and value are enough to inspire our respectful admiration. There is the writer Minh Chuyen in Thai Binh, with his significant contributions to the community through post-war legacies. There is the writer Trinh Thanh Phong – from Tuyen Quang – a truly remarkable personality and literary style. In Le Tuan Loc's heartfelt essays, we also learn once again about a modern-day "Cinderella" through the life of Ms. Tran Thi Tam at the Nho Quan War Invalids Rehabilitation Center in Ninh Binh. And surely, in the essay "The Poetic Essence of Ancient Chu Dau Ceramics," the writer's heart and feelings have blossomed, along with the dreams of centuries hidden in the blue and jade glazes, gradually reviving the glorious days of the past. And there are so many people and stories in other lands that make us love and cherish even more those other regions with their rich history and talented people.
In my opinion, the essayist is the most courageous writer, and essays are also the most powerful and, upon closer examination, the most direct genre compared to others (here I'm referring to literary essays – literary essays, not journalistic essays). Artistic literature relies heavily on fiction, imagery, ambiguity, and indirectness to express, reflect, and articulate. In other genres, writers can hide themselves (though in reality, they can never truly hide). In contrast, in essays, writers must reveal themselves, venturing out, experiencing, researching, and reflecting. Other genres may take a roundabout, indirect approach, but essays choose the most challenging path: going straight to the point, embracing the truth, and carrying the weight of hot, intense, shocking events with broad, direct, and profound significance for the community, history, and the era. That is the quality and value of essays in the realm of literary genres. From the writings of Le Tuan Loc, the heart and soul of the author are clearly evident, but it's not just heart and soul; there also shines the charm, the spirit, and the soul of the writer and his words. The intellectual anguish or the yearning for hope find a source of strength in his writing to express himself to life. It's when we pause to reflect on the life of Mother Tom and the unfilled voids. It's the plight of veterans like Hoang Cong Son, and the doctors and nurses at the Agent Orange Victims Department (Nho Quan Center for the Care of Wounded Soldiers)...
Perhaps it is the anxieties of life, the pangs of conscience, the persistently nurtured and illuminated hopes... that motivate Le Tuan Loc to continue his journey and write. And thus, along with his poetic journey, Le Tuan Loc's journey of essays and prose will continue to resonate with the sentiments of humanity.
Text and photos: Nguyen Thanh Tam
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/dau-chi-la-tam-tinh-280405.htm
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