Remembering writer Doan Gioi

As for me, for many years I still keep a special memory of writer Doan Gioi, a person whose literary talent I not only admire but also his personality.

Yes, there was a famous Southern writer, he passed away a long time ago, but every time I remember him, I remember an honest and kind person. That was the writer Doan Gioi.

Now I know, Doan Gioi is one of the 25 "founding writers" of the Vietnam Writers Association in 1957, perhaps because he is one of the writers representing Southern writers.

Writer Doan Gioi (1925 - 1989)

PHOTO: DOCUMENT

Once upon a time, I read Southern Forest Land by Doan Gioi after reading The Adventures of a Cricket by To Hoai. Those are the two books written for children that I like the most, I think they are the best. Later on, there were also some other very good books written for children by Nguyen Quang Sang, Duong Thu Huong... But I still like the two books by To Hoai and Doan Gioi the most.

Luckily for me, in the summer of 1983, the Vietnam Writers Association (chaired by Nguyen Ngoc at that time) organized a field trip for writers, with priority given to senior writers. At that time, I was quite young (only 37 years old), but was invited to attend, and go on a field trip to Quang Nam - Da Nang with the senior writers.

Gathered in Da Nang, at the Provincial Committee Guest House, but then the writers were divided into many groups to go to different areas. I was in the group with Tu Son, Thai Ba Loi and Trung Trung Dinh, three young writers, and in the group there were two "old trees", the poetess Anh Tho and the writer Doan Gioi. I don't know the age of these two "old trees", but they were certainly old, over 70 years old. The two of them went to the field with us young people, and were not inferior to the younger generation in terms of walking. In many areas such as Binh Duong with white sand or Dai Loc in the midlands, we had to walk from one point to another under the summer sun. Uncles Anh Tho and Doan Gioi walked very well, and talked happily while walking.

I remember the time we passed through the Binh Duong sand dunes, an area famous for being a guerrilla base during the war, we "went to each house, visited the old people..." and even visited the guerrillas who were then middle-aged, listening to them tell so many stories about fighting in this harsh sand dune. One afternoon, while walking like that in Binh Duong, while having a good time chatting like that, suddenly the two "banyan trees" argued. The whole story was because Uncle Doan Gioi said something as a joke, Southern people are very humorous, just for fun, but Uncle Anh Tho, being a careful Northerner, refused to listen. Uncle Anh Tho argued back with a bit of harshness, making Uncle Doan Gioi angry, demanding to bring this matter to the Party cell... We, the juniors, quickly stopped the two uncles, but I don't know if Uncle Doan Gioi later brought this "incident" to the Party cell meeting of the group of writers going to the field or not...

At the end of 1983, the third congress of writers took place, after 21 years without a congress due to the war. I was also able to attend, although at the second congress in 1962 I was just a child. That was already a great progress. During the congress, when it came to introducing candidates for the executive committee, I didn’t know which of my friends had recommended me, and I didn’t have any objections to withdraw, so I was kept for voting. I got 44 votes, while to be elected to the executive committee I needed 76 votes. It was easy to see that I had failed, so I was very excited.

During the conference, there was a short break where I had a friendly chat with Mr. Doan Gioi. The kind words Mr. Doan Gioi said to me made me proud of the affection Mr. Doan Gioi had for me - a fan of his works since I was a child. Until now, I still love him.

Cover of the book Southern Forest Land special edition commemorating the 100th anniversary of writer Doan Gioi's birth

PHOTO: KIM DONG PUBLISHING HOUSE

When Dat rung phuong Nam was made into a series, I watched every episode. And, it was wonderful that the song in the film, also called Bai ca dat phuong Nam , composed by musician Lu Nhat Vu, with lyrics by poet Le Giang, became one of the best songs written about the Southern region, and that is also the song I still like to listen to the most. With the novel Dat rung phuong Nam and the song Bai ca dat phuong Nam , the Southern region that I love, where I spent 5 years "wandering through the war", I think that region has been honored appropriately. A true work of art can beautify an entire region.

Now, sometimes when driving on Highway 4 through Tien Giang, I notice a junior high school in the Trung Luong - My Tho area named after Doan Gioi. The writer passed away a long time ago, but the junior high school named after him is still present in his hometown. Remembering Doan Gioi, I remember the words he said to me at the 3rd Writers' Congress, the very honest and emotional words of a very honest writer. Honest like his hometown where I lived during the war.

A writer can leave his life with only one work, but that work is the work that the writer wrote with all his heart. Doan Gioi is such a writer.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nho-nha-van-doan-gioi-185250517160554239.htm