Author Archives: Chris Galvin

About Chris Galvin

Chris Galvin is a Canadian writer, editor and photographer dividing her time between Canada and Viet Nam. Her essay Flood Season was a finalist for the 2012 Best of the Net prize, and Discovering Hến Rice in Central Việt Nam won third place (shared) and a Readers’ Choice Award in the 2015 I Must Be Off! Travel Essay Contest. Her work has appeared in various anthologies and literary journals, including Descant, Asian Cha, PRISM International, Room, and others. She has written in Vietnamese and English for Vietnam Tourism Review/Kham Pha Du Lich Vietnam Magazine, Travellive, and Du Lich Giai Tri. Chris is currently looking for a home for her recently completed manuscript, Breakfast Under the Bodhi Tree, a book about living, eating, and tour-guiding in Viet Nam.

N is for Nghệ / Turmeric

Posted on April 20, 2017

“After women give birth,” my Vietnamese mother-in-law explained, “they get coldness. Turmeric heats the body and protects against colds or flu. Also,” she said, “turmeric makes the skin soft and beautiful again. Any woman who just had a baby should apply a turmeric … Continue reading →

Posted in A to Z, Cooking, Food, Viet Nam | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Photo set: Canada, Việt Nam

Posted on July 11, 2016

Between 4:30 and 6:30 a.m., the streets of Huế abound with people walking, jogging and excercising. When in Việt Nam, I’m often outside by 5 for a walk with my mother-in-law. . . When I took this photo of a group … Continue reading →

Posted in News, Photography, Photos, Publications, Viet Nam | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Runner-up in Briarpatch Magazine’s Writing in the Margins Contest!

Posted on March 2, 2016

I’m pleased to announce that my personal essay Bombshell has been chosen as runner-up for the 2015 creative nonfiction prize in Briarpatch’s fifth annual writing contest. Thank you to Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, who judged the creative nonfiction entries. Bombshell faced … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Non-Fiction, News, Publications, Viet Nam, Writing, Writing Contests | Tagged , | 11 Comments

V is for Vả Figs

Posted on February 8, 2016

We tend to think of Vietnamese cuisine as a single entity, but really it’s made up of many regional dishes and ingredients. The cooking of Huế features a variety of such foods, and a variety of locally grown fig is one … Continue reading →

Posted in A to Z, Cooking, Food, Photos, Viet Nam | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Sweet and Sour Tamarinds for Tết

Posted on January 27, 2016

Hard work. Peeling sour green tamarinds to make sweet and sour Tết preserves. My sister-in-law and I have already spent a couple of hours on this, and we still have hours to go. When tamarinds are ripe, the shells separate … Continue reading →

Posted in A to Z, Cooking, Food, Viet Nam | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

T is for Tôm Chua (Sour Shrimp)

Posted on January 25, 2016

The cuisine of Việt Nam’s old imperial city of Huế features a number of local specialties that aren’t so well known in the rest of the country. The lightly fermented shrimp condiment called tôm chua, sour shrimp, is one of … Continue reading →

Posted in A to Z, Food, Photos, Viet Nam | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

M is for Mãng Cầu (Custard Apple)

Posted on January 22, 2016

It’s mãng cầu seaon in Huế right now. I spotted these ones next to a pile of bright pink dragon fruit at the market. My mother-in-law knows how much I like to eat them, and often buys them in threes just … Continue reading →

Posted in A to Z, Food, Photos, Viet Nam | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Shortlisted in Briarpatch Magazine’s fifth annual Writing in the Margins contest!

Posted on January 7, 2016

I am delighted to announce that my essay Bombshell is one of five shortlisted nonfiction entries in Briarpatch Magazine‘s fifth annual Writing in the Margins contest. Today’s exciting news brings balance for an email I received yesterday, my first rejection letter of 2016. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Non-Fiction, News, Writing, Writing Contests | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

The Word Every Writer Wants to Hear: Winner!

Posted on October 1, 2015

I am pleased to announce that my food/travel essay Discovering Hến Rice in Central Việt Nam has won the Readers’ Choice Award in the I Must Be Off! 2015 Travel Essay Contest. It also shares third place with two other … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Non-Fiction, Memoir, News, Writing Contests | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Book Review: What Happened Here by Bonnie ZoBell

Posted on September 11, 2015

What Happened Here Bonnie ZoBell May 3, 2014 Press 53 ISBN: 978-1-941209-00-4 174 pages US $17.95 Bonnie ZoBell’s debut collection, What Happened Here, is a linked set of ten short stories and a novella. They share a neighbourhood, a history, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Book reviews, Books, Fiction | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments