Category Archives: Memoir

The Word Every Writer Wants to Hear: Winner!

Posted on October 1, 2015 by

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

Discovering Cơm Hến (Clam Rice) in Việt Nam

Posted on August 14, 2015 by

Feeling quite chuffed that my short essay about a lesser known specialty dish from Việt Nam (called cơm hến, clam rice) has been shortlisted for the Third Annual I Must Be Off! Travel Essay Contest. The essay, Discovering Hến Rice in … Continue reading →

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

A selection of News from a Literary Life

Posted on June 22, 2015 by

I’m pleased to announce the publication of Sống Chung với Mệ in the 2015 issue of Đặc San Văn Lang Boston. This piece is my translation to Vietnamese of my essay Life with Mệ, which appeared in the 2012 Writers … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Non-Fiction, Fiction, Memoir, News, Publications, Viet Nam, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

The Very Inspiring Blogger Award

Posted on February 12, 2015 by

Thanks, QWF Writes, for nominating me for the “Very Inspiring Blogger” award. QWF Writes is the Quebec Writers’ Federation’s monthly online column. The QWF does a lot of great work promoting writing in the community. Have a look at their post … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Awards, Books, Creative Non-Fiction, Memoir, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Two Mini Book Reviews: Great CNF published in 2013

Posted on March 13, 2014 by

Must be something in the air. In the last few days, several people have asked for suggestions for good nonfiction books. Here are my two favourites from 2013. Everything Rustles (Anvil, 2013), by Jane Silcott  This book was announced yesterday … Continue reading →

Posted in Book reviews, Books, Creative Non-Fiction, Memoir | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

“Ebony Teeth” now published in Existere Journal

Posted on November 16, 2013 by

I’m honoured to have a nonfiction piece, Ebony Teeth, included amongst the literary and artistic offerings in the latest issue of Existere Journal. Ebony Teeth is a brief look at the once widespread Vietnamese practice of dyeing the teeth permanently black. Though I rarely … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir, News, Publications, Viet Nam | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

“An Evening with Kim Thúy” published in the Maple Tree Literary Supplement

Posted on June 13, 2013 by

“Ru is a lyrical, poetic and non-linear collection of vignettes, written from the twin viewpoints of the narrator as a ten-year-old and as an adult. A word or an idea from the end of each vignette sparks the beginning of … Continue reading →

Posted in Book reviews, Memoir, News, Publications, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

In Descant 160, the Hidden City issue: Vịnh Mốc: Life Underground

Posted on April 7, 2013 by

I am so pleased to have my piece Vịnh Mốc: Life Underground appear in Descant Magazine’s Hidden City issue. With its  beautiful, mysterious photo by Jeremy Kai, I think this issue has one of the best-looking literary magazines covers I have seen. … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Non-Fiction, Memoir, Publications, Viet Nam, Writing | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

More News about Breakfast Under the Bodhi Tree

Posted on February 9, 2013 by

For those who’ve been wondering what breakfast under the bodhi tree looks like, I’m pleased to announce that Prism International has published some of my  photos on their website. The photos accompany my essay Breakfast Under the Bodhi Tree, which appears in Prism‘s … Continue reading →

Posted in Breakfast Under the Bodhi Tree, Creative Non-Fiction, Memoir, News, Photography, Photos, Viet Nam | Tagged , | 14 Comments

Kitchen Gods under the Bodhi Tree

Posted on February 3, 2013 by

This is the wall surrounding the altar at the foot of our bodhi tree, of which a small section of the trunk is visible to the left. All those small rectangles on the top of the wall are kitchen god … Continue reading →

Posted in Breakfast Under the Bodhi Tree, Creative Non-Fiction, Memoir, Photography, Photos, Viet Nam | Tagged , | 9 Comments