Birds of Paradise Lost By Andrew Lam Red Hen Press, 2013 The 13 stories in this collection chronicle the lives of those who fled Vietnam and remade themselves in the San Francisco Bay Area. The past—memories of war and its aftermath—is ever present in these wise and compassionate stories. The book focuses on the struggle for integration By these immigrants. “Lam crystallizes the tension of immigration—the pull between wanting to hold onto the old world while needing to accept the strangeness of the new—with sensitivity, beauty, and yet with a welcome lack of sentimentality or bathos.” — Nina Sankovitch, Huffington Post

Pearl in the Rice: Ancient Vietnamese Fables By Leo Booth SCP Ltd, 2003 The beautiful stories in this book all have a sacred theme and speak to us in spiritual ways. How do we overcome greed? What is the meaning of real beauty, and how it is discovered? Is true friendship about giving what is requested, or what is needed? Are we prepared to make the necessary changes in our life to discover true happiness? These age-old questions and more are answered in these fables. Through these stories, we realize the pearl “wisdom” is always waiting to be revealed in the most ordinary events of everyday life “the rice”. “… delivers fables that teaches lessons of life and humanity in a thrilling dialogue. From lessons on kindness to long suffering, this is a wonderful translation of Vietnamese fables in English.” – LibraryThing.com

The House on Dream Street: Memoir of an American Woman in Vietnam By Dana Sachs Seal Press, 2003 Part memoir and part travelogue, The House on Dream Street offers a glimpse into Vietnam more than 20 years after the war. Author Dana Sachs foregoes the history lesson and instead takes us into the day-to-day lives of working-class people attempting to succeed in a new capitalist economy. With vivid descriptions of the community—the noodle stalls and roaring motorcycles, the vestiges of French colonialism, and the encroachment of glittering high-rises—Sachs explores the tenuous balance between the traditions of old Vietnam and a country in the throes of modernization. “An American journalist’s low-key but affectionate account of her extended visits to Vietnam, beginning in the early 1990s, that reflect more personal than political reactions to a country recovering from its war-torn past and tentatively embracing western culture. Vividly detailed vignettes of living with a remarkably generous people who are determined to move on.” – Kirkus Reviews

Vietnam: Journeys of Body, Mind, and Spirit By Nguyen Van Huy Laurel Kendall University of California Press, 2003 Vietnam: Journeys of Body, Mind, and Spirit takes the reader on an informed and engaging journey into the social and ritual life of contemporary Vietnam. Created to accompany the first major collaboration between a Vietnamese museum and an American museum on an exhibition of Vietnamese culture, this book moves beyond the troubled wartime history of both nations to a deeper portrayal of how Vietnamese of different ages, ethnicities, occupations, and circumstances live at the start of the twenty-first century. The contributors—most of whom live and work in Vietnam, while others have spent many years in intimate association with Vietnamese life—offer a unique perspective on the country and its diverse cultural makeup. The many photographs and illustrations capture the complexity and nuance of daily life in modern-day Vietnam. “Written in a very accessible, jargon-free style, this superb book is a marvelous window on the culture of Vietnam. Highly recommended.” – Amazon

Vietnam: Still America’s War 2010, 27 minutes This film presents a fascinating perspective on the Vietnam War. Reminders of the war live on through landmines, poverty and attitudes.

Owl and the Sparrow 2007, 98 minutes After angering her uncle, 10-year-old Thuy runs away and lands on the tough streets of Saigon. There, she befriends shy zookeeper Hai and flight attendant Lan. Dreaming of a new family, Thuy plays matchmaker to bring the two together. Meanwhile, Thuy’s furious uncle tracks her through the city. Stephane Gauger wrote and directed this Los Angeles Film Festival Audience Award winner. “Owl and the Sparrow is yet one more film that preaches the importance of opening your heart and reaching out to those around you.” – Village Voice

The Scent of Green Papaya 1993, 104 minutes Little things mean a lot in the world of 10-year-old Mui, a girl who’s trained to be a house servant in 1950s Vietnam. This film follows Mui as she grows up in pre-war Saigon, and finds peace and happiness with a family friend. “Here is a film so placid and filled with sweetness that watching it is like listening to soothing music.” – Roger Ebert

Stilling Time – Traditional Music of Vietnam This recording is a work of wonder, an act of dedication By Philip Blackburn, an American contemporary composer who traveled to Vietnam in 1993 as a visiting artist and came home with some of the best recordings of contemporary folk-music traditions available anywhere. Nineteen tracks display the cultural variety and excellent musicianship of this nation, from street musicians, school children, farmers, and mothers as well as classically trained artists and professional folk musicians. There are work songs, play songs, songs of religious fervor and simple life events, and each is well recorded, on location, without any pretense at production or “art.” Works are performed By gong ensembles; By skilled chamber-music ensembles using ancient zithers and modern, altered guitars; By theater orchestras and solo singers; By lutenists and bamboo-xylophone players. Blackburn has also include a lengthy piece recorded at random on a street in Hanoi, complete with the sounds of passing vehicles, street musicians, a bell smith, bikers, and chirping bugs.

Mỹ Linh watch on YouTube Blessed with a precise yet rich and emotional voice, Mỹ Linh has been singing professionally since she was 16 years old. Her musical talents were recognized when she was still just a little girl performing at various children’s music contests. Since then, she has gone on to win numerous prizes domestically and internationally, the most noted being “The Golden Voice of Asia Award” in 1999. In 2006, she became the only Vietnamese artist to sing at Asian Divas night in Nagoya, Japan. A masterful stylist, her elegant and accessible music blends funk, soul, R&B and jazz. My Linh’s music is firmly entrenched in Vietnamese culture while remaining open to international influence.

Bằng Kiều watch on YouTube Kieu was born into a musical family with the love of performance arts running through his veins. He began playing music when he was a child and took up studying bassoon at the Hanoi Conservatory of Music in 1989, but eventually switched to becoming a vocalist after realizing his passion for singing. With his eloquent voice, stage charm and many talents, Bang Kieu has produced a number of popular songs and always makes his stage appearances full of delightful surprises.