Pieces of desire

The work “Fragments of Desire” (Writers Association Publishing House, 2024) by journalist and poet Dao Duc Tuan has just been introduced to readers. The book is full of portraits and notes that bring readers many surprises and delights.

Poet and journalist Dao Duc Tuan (left) at the book launch

"Those Aspiring Love Pieces" devotes the first 162 pages to sketching portraits of artists, most of whom are close friends of poet Dao. The difficulty in writing a portrait is that you have to read many works, understand the life and personality of each person, each character. Moreover, artists are inherently very talented but quite individualistic. It is very difficult to write in a way that is new, unique, and attractive to convince readers. Yet, Dao Duc Tuan still does well, writes well, and is enjoyable to read!

Many writers, of course not daring to say the most representative but worthy of being the pride of a land, gradually appear on each page of the book. There are Nguyen Thanh Mung, Tran Thi Huyen Trang, Van Phi (Binh Dinh); here are Nguyen Tuong Van, Dao Minh Hiep, Ngo Phan Luu, Phan Hoang, Phung Hi (Phu Yen); here are Uong Thai Bieu, Nguyen Hang Tinh ( Lam Dong ); and more are Doan Thach Bien, Luong Ngoc An, Tran Nha Thuy, Le Duc Duong, Nguyen Lam Thang... From life stories to career stories, from worries to dreams, from the hardships of making a living to the character of a literati, from literary fate to the works that define their names, are all outlined quite sharply by Dao Duc Tuan with words, with a bright, beautiful, and attractive writing style.

The book "Pieces of Desire" by Dao Duc Tuan

The pleasure of reading literary portraits is that readers not only get an overview of the creative process, the explorations, but also understand more about the behind-the-scenes stories, the literary "kitchen". Behind the words, the manuscripts, the works are the clinging clothes, the silent loneliness, the burning passion, the love... of each artist. Reading this book, I learned more about the precious poet Doan Thach Bien: "Hearing that Mr. Bien "loves the children", they rushed to send in articles, with dirty manuscripts and faltering sentences. Yet he read, edited, and responded to each person; when they saw the article published intact, without correcting the commas, they knew they had...grown up"; "Regardless of the time, many new journalists and writers always came to him to consult, sometimes just on a small detail".

I was touched by Mr. Bien's heart for young writers. I loved the sincere encouragement of math and writing teacher Phung Hi: "You guys try writing, like trying a certain profession, carpentry for example. If you succeed, consider yourself to have something to offer to readers. If not, I believe you will love literature a little more like you used to love." I like Dao Duc Tuan's writing style, soaring yet intimate, flowery yet simple, free-spirited in his profession but still with his own dear Nau quality, like "rần rần", "lem nem", "nhãn nhe", "bù nhất"...

I was once absorbed in reading “The Wind Blows from the Memory Land” by Uong Thai Bieu. Therefore, I paused for a long time to admire the sentences that Mr. Tuan wrote about Mr. Bieu: “So that all the attachments of tears and laughter, Da Lat has permeated the soul of the young man from Nghe An. However, I realized that the passion for Central Highlands culture still occupies the core of Uong Thai Bieu’s writings. Celebrating a life of sad and happy words, Uong Thai Bieu, the man of the windy seasons...”. With 28 artist portraits, each person has a unique look but in general, they are all very talented, responsible, passionate, dedicated, and devoted to each page.

The latter part of the book devotes more than 80 pages to introducing the startup stories of Phu Yen entrepreneurs such as: Le Van Hau, Tran Duy Tan, Nguyen Duy Trinh, Nguyen Tran Vu, Ngo Thi Muoi... Most of them are young, well-educated, and have the desire to get rich to help themselves and others in their homeland. These pages are more journalistic but still imbued with the author's literary qualities and emotions. Each character is a story, full of sadness and joy, struggles, failures, and determination to succeed...

Dao Duc Tuan graduated from the Faculty of Literature, Dalat University in 1993, currently living and writing in Tuy Hoa - Phu Yen. His name is known to readers through 3 poetry collections Slow Afternoon (2005), Embracing the Earth (2010), and Thinh Khong (2017). Journalism gives him the opportunity to travel and write a lot, communicate widely, and gain life experience. Writing helps him find balance and peace with words, after a busy and precarious journey. The book's weak point is that there are still some morat errors, although they are few, but still give the feeling of incompleteness. In my opinion, "Those pieces of aspirational love" is a book worth reading. Read to understand more about people and karma. Read to understand the word Love lingering in each page of literature!

Source: http://baolamdong.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/202409/nhung-manh-tinh-khat-vong-92f2e91/