As mentioned in an earlier post, the summers of my youth in Saigon were painted in brilliant red and orange from luxurious blooms on poinciana trees all over the city. But here, in sun-drenched Southern California, summer ushers in a different color---the purple-blue freshness of jacaranda blooms. … [Read more...]
Over the past year, I have gone around and given presentations to introduce my book Once upon a Mulberry Field to the reading public, and to share some of the memories and stories that had inspired me to write it. Many friends and supporters have asked me what the responses from such live audiences … [Read more...]
Many thanks to John Wilkens at the San Diego Union-Tribune for his recent article on my book Once upon a Mulberry Field on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. The picture in the article was taken by SDUT photographer Howard Lipin at my April 18 book discussion at the Poway … [Read more...]
Forty years ago, on the last day of April 1975, as the free world stood by and watched in disbelief, Saigon succumbed to the communist North Vietnamese, marking the end of the Vietnam War. Every year since, when April comes around, millions of people who had lived through those tumultuous … [Read more...]
The first day of Spring. On the heels of Saint Patrick's Day. Can you believe it? Doesn't it seem like we just got through Christmas and New Year's, then Valentine's Day, and for me, Tết most recently? I know, I know. Time just seems to fly for us lucky ones who live out here in Southern … [Read more...]
In 2015 the traditional Vietnamese New Year's, or Tết, which is based on the lunar calendar, fell on Thursday Feb. 19. It was the same New Year's date celebrated in many countries in the East such as China, Korea, Laos, and Singapore. I have so many fond memories associated with Tết from my … [Read more...]
It was exactly a year ago on Valentine's Day that my book Once upon a Mulberry Field was published. I remember it like yesterday. It was early February and everything was set to go, except for one small but important detail: an official publication date for record-keeping purpose. It had to be … [Read more...]
Libraries have always been the place where book lovers of all stripes congregate, so it makes perfect sense that a local library would help support and promote authors in its own community. In this fostering spirit, San Diego Public Library for the past 49 years has been sponsoring an annual … [Read more...]
Okay. It's still a brand spanking new year, so it's still time for some new year's resolutions, right? I must admit, though, that for a long time now I've been out of the habit of setting those. Not that I have anything against them, it's just that I figure I usually have some idea of what I'd … [Read more...]
At first glance, the above picture shows a postcard winterland that brings to mind a white Christmas. But take a closer look. See the drooping palm tree standing forlorn in the background? And what's that on the snow-sprinkled shrub in front of it? It can't be right, but aren't those orange-colored … [Read more...]