Works and voices of kindred spirits

Late last year, the Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House reissued Phan Hoang's work "Questioning Habits" in the format of a book titled "Works and the Voice of Kindred Spirits".

The nearly 400-page book dedicates three-quarters of its pages to the section "The Voice of Kindred Spirit," including "Knowing Words" and "Questioning Love." After its publication, "Questioning Habits" was awarded the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association Prize, the Vietnam Writers Association Award, and the Danube Art Prize (Hungary). The reason for this success is its fresh perspective on poetry.

Habits, ultimately, are products of the past, things that are repeated over and over, and not easy to break. And I believe that as we get older, the part of the past within each of us becomes increasingly heavy. Sometimes we ourselves are controlled by "habits," becoming "victims" of them without accepting anything new or different.

In the poem "Questioning Habit," Phan Hoang initially had the same habit. It was the daily routine of "sitting in that chair," "sipping that civet coffee," "reading the newspaper," and "watching the owner of the cafe smile subtly." When everything was turned upside down (though not significantly affecting " world affairs"): "The chair was already occupied," "the coffee no longer smelled of civet," "the cafe had no newspaper," "the proud owner remained silent"... And Phan Hoang's final and familiar reaction was, "I left in confusion," "I drank hastily and left," "I left feeling sad," "I left, left, left"...

The first six stanzas of "Questioning Habits" contain only that much content. However, these six stanzas are the necessary "catalyst" for the "explosion" in the seventh stanza, which is also the concluding and crucial stanza of the poem: "Sometimes I laugh as I question myself / why do people keep deceiving themselves with habits that they can't learn from, like a river that adapts and changes course, flowing swiftly forward?"

It was this sense of humor and self-questioning (which also meant questioning his habits) that helped Phan Hoang learn to be like a "river that adapts and changes course, flowing swiftly forward," enabling him to change and prepare for a new beginning.

It was from this starting point that he changed his perception and thinking in poetry. From this new starting point, in "The Sun in My Familiar Home," he discovered that "the sun rising in his familiar home" was both "full of the sound of waves," "filled with the sound of wind," and "brighter each day" (literally), and "the sun continues to rise in his familiar home of thought" (figuratively), thus "changing the inspiration of the sky, changing the thinking of each mountain and river."

From this new starting point, in "Whispers," he hears sounds that not everyone can hear: "Amidst thunder and rain / I hear whispers / the sounds between labor and childbirth." From this new starting point, in "Flowers of Stone," he perceives "beauty born from silent movement / truth originating from unexpected paradox."

Amidst such drastic and devastating changes, it's gratifying that Phan Hoang still holds views very close to Buddhism. He sees the equality between humans and all living beings in "Bewildered Can Gio" through verses that sharply question: "How are we different from monkeys? / How are we different from crocodiles? / How are we different from mosquitoes? / How are we different from / Can Gio?"...

He keenly perceived the cause-and-effect relationship and its consequences in the way humanity increasingly sinks into exploiting nature for eternal gain and desire in "Wooden Eyes": "The precious wood grain in the luxurious house is like hidden fiery eyes, lurking with resentment, waiting to erupt."

It feels as though Phan Hoang is simultaneously "outward-looking" and "inward-looking." Reading "Questioning Habits," the reader encounters the burning embers, the fires, and the smoke in his poetry, always blazing fiercely. And then, these embers, fires, and smoke ignite into poetry within a "text without form/text without text."

It is this new habit, called "Questioning Habits," that has made Phan Hoang different, fresher, and more modern.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/tac-pham-va-tieng-noi-tri-am-889156.html