Look straight ahead - Speak the truth: "Put down your pen, kick the person."

When assessing the stature of a literary tradition or a writer, it is obvious that one must examine their works.

Great works of literature depend primarily on the talent of the writer. For a long time, Vietnamese literature has lacked great works that have convinced the public and had an international impact. Therefore, contemporary Vietnamese literature lacks talented writers with rich creativity and profound intellectual vision. This is a sad reality, widely known but not acknowledged by those involved.

Illustration photo: hanoimoi.vn

Until recently, at a major conference organized by the Vietnam Writers Association , there were strong voices, facing the truth directly, acknowledging that Vietnamese literature has yet to produce great works. Many reasons for this include a segment of writers who focus less on creative work, being distracted by matters outside of literature, and, more negatively, wasting time criticizing, mocking, and attacking each other.

The evidence is that Vietnamese literature today is "lively and bustling" because there are more controversies than literary achievements. A prime example is the constant arguing surrounding awards, to the point of a joke: "The world has four seasons, but the literary world has an additional 'season': the award season." Normally, writers don't write for awards, but if they submit a work to a competition, they must accept the rules and the judges' evaluation. If a work doesn't win an award or receives a low award, it doesn't necessarily mean it's worthless, and conversely, winning a high award doesn't guarantee it will stand the test of time or remain in the public's mind. After all, awards are chosen by a group of judges, and no matter how prestigious, they don't represent the general public.

If the awards are "problematic," the judges themselves will "bury" the prestige of the awards and their own personal reputations. So, should writers engage in such inhumane attacks against each other for the sake of awards? With this situation of "abandoning their pens and kicking each other," the creation of great works seems like a pipe dream, because the writers' limited energy is being used for... verbal battles.

The work of a writer is a unique and highly individualistic endeavor, demanding a degree of discipline, even austere self-control. Most great writers are not only great artists, sensitive and refined, but also great thinkers and scholars. Therefore, they immerse themselves in imagination and contemplation, reading and researching extensively, leaving no time for frivolous activities. In contrast, average writers, those without enduring works or careers that don't last, often get caught up in pointless pursuits.

In this age of technological dominance, the explosion of media and multimedia entertainment, literature seems to be pushed from the center to the periphery of cultural and artistic life. However, as a verbal art form, literature will always be closely linked to human destiny, and it provides literary scripts, imagery, and modes of expression for the development of cultural industries; therefore, literature still has room for growth. It is regrettable that few writers in our country today are interested in studying public taste, empathizing with the changes in socio-cultural life, and devoting their efforts to writing works that surpass the general standard.

Admittedly, the atmosphere of the era, the creative environment, and socio -economic conditions influence writers to some extent. However, unlike film and performing arts, a great writer doesn't need much external support. Through their talent, they can still create works that elevate literature and become authors of their time, like Nguyen Trai with "Binh Ngo Dai Cao" and Nguyen Du with "Truyen Kieu"... A writer's existence depends on their work; no one will remember controversies, struggles, awards, or titles... Therefore, writers themselves need to understand their mission with the pen and dedicate themselves fully to the profound path of creation, with the heights beckoning ahead.

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/nhin-thang-noi-that-bo-but-da-nguoi-906574