Talking to myself

Although Nguyen Huy Thiep's short stories played a significant role in shaping a new face of Vietnamese literature during the Doi Moi (Renovation) period, and also established his literary reputation, earning him the title of "King of Short Stories".

But among the literary legacy left by Nguyen Huy Thiep, there are also plays, poems, and quite a few pages of critical essays.

One of the most notable essays, and one that once caused a stir in the literary world, was "Conversations with Daffodils and the Writer's Mistakes".

There, he presented many opinions and observations that prompted much debate. To some extent, these critical articles even tended to awaken a sense of naive optimism and fostered a more scholarly atmosphere among writers than many books by some critics.

img_3477(1).jpg — Writer Nguyen Huy Thiep. Photo: HTPho.

Sadly, writer Nguyen Huy Thiep later lost his enthusiasm for writing. Then he suddenly suffered a stroke. Shortly after, on March 20, 2021, the writer passed away at the age of 71.

Let's reread one of his essays. "Talking to Myself" is perhaps one of the last complete writings of the writer Nguyen Huy Thiep. Through these pages, readers and those wishing to learn about Nguyen Huy Thiep's literary life can also find reflections on the writing profession, on success, and on failure in the writer's perspective.

Question: Is there a profession called writing?

Answer: Yes! It's just like other professions. Like cooking, construction, trading, etc. There are successes and failures, honor and disgrace, rich and poor.

Question: How is the writing profession different from other professions?

Answer: Perhaps because it is formless, without shape. It is a product and result of unconscious rather than conscious activity. Its tool is language. It is close to religion and politics . It seeks the Way, the meaning of life, enlightenment.

Question: Why do we only say "profession" and not "career"?

Answer: Karma comes later, only known at the end of life. Perhaps not entirely. It comes before, from a previous life with someone. When I say profession, I'm referring to material things, money, making a living. I don't understand those who say, "Writing isn't a profession, it's his (or her) karma."

That's an exaggeration, a terrifying statement. The literary profession is a very heavy, terrible burden, with many consequences. It's a spiritual program from somewhere unknown. Ultimately, a writer will still have to – and only will – be a seeker of the Way.

He foolishly rushed forward to lift the veil of unconsciousness so that everyone could feel and see it, and then let them go home, reflect, and consciously live their lives in accordance with the Way. An author whose readers are somewhat like a spiritual or emotional magnet has a real aura.

Jesus Christ is the model for such a classical writer.

Besides writing, writer Nguyen Huy Thiep enjoys painting on Bat Trang ceramic plates. He paints portraits of fellow writers, his favorite animals, and often writes poems on the plates. The photo shows a self-portrait by Nguyen Huy Thiep, painted in 2017 on a Bat Trang ceramic plate. Photo: HTPho.

Question: If a writer fails, then what constitutes a successful writer?

Answer: As people commonly believe: "to enrich oneself and one's family," "to eat Chinese food, marry a Japanese woman, and live in a Western house," and to win some valuable award.

Question: Does that sound vulgar or commonplace?

Answer: Ordinary. Not ordinary. Different from ordinary. Difficult. Very difficult!

Question: What qualities does a writer need?

Answer: I don't know for sure. I'm just repeating what the elders said long ago. Le Quy Don (1726-1784) said: "Literature is not a game, nor is it idle chatter. To write well, one must have knowledge and extensive experience. Literary writing is not mere empty talk. Without a mind filled with thirty thousand books and eyes drawn to the wondrous mountains and rivers of the world, one cannot write."

Le Quy Don's view implicitly placed the writer in the position of an intellectual, perhaps even the most intellectual in the community.

Question: Too classic, too absolute!

Answer: That's right. Very classic, absolutely! But we should aim for classicism and absolute perfection. I haven't seen anyone in my generation achieve that.

Question: Who are you?

Answer: I'm a kind of lucky person, a writer who was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time. I met only very good people. I was lucky…

Question: Is it luck or begging?

Answer: Success is just luck! When I was a child, I loved the story of the Pig Scholar. The Pig Scholar passed through a village, intending to spend the night there, and saw a pestle standing at the village gate. Seeing this, the Pig Scholar took out his pen and wrote the words "don't burn" on the wall before leaving. That night, however the village had left its firewood, it burned down completely! That story is so funny, it has haunted me throughout my writing career.

Question: Have you ever experienced anything similar?

Answer: Yes, I've met them many times!

Question: For example?

Answer: In 2004, I was invited to France to launch my book "À nos vingt ans" (Beloved Twenty Years Old). That day, Mr. Jean Lacouture (1921-2015), an important figure and the leading expert on Vietnam for the French government , was present.

The first thing he said to me was, "When I came to Vietnam, you hadn't even been born yet!" I didn't know what to say. Before that, someone had asked me, "What do you think about writers being awarded the Legion of Honor?" I asked, "Does the medal come with money?" They said, "No!"

I said, "So, that's a medal for yoga practitioners!" They said they didn't understand. Then I took a piece of paper and drew a picture of a skinny, shirtless man wearing only a loincloth, standing next to a man wearing a fedora and a suit, smiling, holding a hammer in one hand and a 20-centimeter-long iron nail hammered into his chest in the other. I said, "This is a medal for yoga practitioners."

They laughed and asked, "If you were awarded a medal, would you accept it?" I shook my head. Later, when I received the Legion of Honor (Knight of Literature and Arts) in Hanoi , I learned that the French Minister of Culture, Jean-Jacques Aillagon, had actually signed the award for me three years earlier.

Question: How do you feel about receiving this medal?

Answer: It's a great honor! I'm very proud. My whole family is moved. Since receiving the medal, I no longer have "freedom" (by which I mean "being reckless").

Question: You said it was luck. So, are you a beggar?

Answer: Generally, writers are ranked higher than beggars; writers are at the top among the common people and at the bottom of the court hierarchy. No wealthy person writes (because wealth breeds arrogance, and writing requires humility), except for a few truly "genius madmen" like Cao Xueqin, Pu Songling, and Lev Tolstoy... these are special cases where wealthy writers became poor.

No one who is poor would choose to write (because poverty is seen as cowardly, and writing requires courage; when necessary, they might jump into the water like Qu Yuan, thus bringing disgrace to the entire contemporary political system).

A writer is someone who knows how to live a balanced, refined, and contented life, possessing all the skills of music, chess, poetry, painting, and singing. It's not easy to achieve such a life. It's very difficult, and the most difficult thing isn't just money, nor is it just knowledge – but morality! The old saying, "Having virtue doesn't guarantee enough to eat," is profoundly insightful and subtle.

Question: Dao means path, right?

Answer: That's right! It's a path, a path with many stages. The destination is morality. The writer uses literary language to guide the reader towards "what is" with the ultimate goal being morality. We will talk more about this later…

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