if. . . [nếu . . .]: Selected Poems of Lê Chi

This selection of poems drawn from Lê Chi’s many books offers the English-speaking reader an introduction to one of the most important Vietnamese writers of our time. These intensely lyrical poems range over years of war and years of peace. They delve as deep into love and loss, as they do endurance, self-sacrifice, and courage, and they take a long and sharp-eyed look at life in contemporary Vietnamese society. This first English translation (co-translated by Nguyễn Bà Chung & Fred Marchant), offers us a fascinating and authentic glimpse of the vibrant soul of Vietnam today.