The controversy revolves around the idea that "Nghe An has no literature, so how can it have literary criticism?"

- Mr. Thach Quy, you have spent your entire life living and working closely with literary and artistic creation in Nghe An. What are your observations on the current state of literature and art in your province, the authors, works, and activities of the Nghe An Literature and Arts Association? Recently, there have been opinions on social media suggesting that "Nghe An has no literature, so how can it have literary criticism?" What are your thoughts on this?

I retired a long time ago, almost 20 years ago, and I'm getting old. As the poet Xuan Dieu said, now I'm just a flickering lamp, like a firefly illuminating the words on my page, trying my best to work. Frankly, I don't have the opportunity or time to read all the works of the authors, nor do I keep up with the daily activities of the Nghe An Literature and Arts Association. But to answer this question, if I have to, let me "say what I know," which may be accurate or not entirely true to the nature of the matter; after all, this is just my personal opinion.

Poet Thach Quy frankly expressed his opinion on the statement "Nghe An has no literature to criticize." Photo: Hai Vuong

Does Nghe An have literature, authors, and works of literature at the present time? It can be said accurately that currently, in Nghe An, there are still many people writing and publishing books, and many people writing poetry and prose whose works have been and are being published in newspapers. However, a printed book and a literary work are two different entities. A poet/writer and a literary author are also two different concepts. Depending on the evaluation method, the conception of literature, and the criteria for defining a literary work, one must make a specific judgment before saying whether a particular locality or a nation has literature or not. This is the work of researchers, theorists, and critics.

Even if a particular locality lacks literary works, readers still need literary critics to provide specific assessments and point out the regrettable state of literature in that area. I believe that saying, "Nghe An has no literature, so how can there be literary criticism?" is inaccurate. Criticism needs to identify whether Nghe An has literature or not; it could even lead to a seminar on that topic. Therefore, even if a locality lacks literature, criticism is still possible if it is strong enough, and it will highlight the reality of that "lack of literature"!

Returning to the issue of the current literary situation, authors, and works in Nghe An today. The Nghe An Association of Literature and Arts has about 20 member writers. Frankly, I haven't read all of them, so I don't know the full quality of the works of all the member writers. However, in recent years, novels by writer Nguyen The Quang such as "Nguyen Du," "Nguyen Cong Tru," etc., have resonated throughout the country and have been well-received by readers. Thus, in recent years, Nghe An literature has at least produced two quality novels contributing to the national literary scene. This is a very noteworthy achievement for Nghe An's literature and arts.

Regarding poetry, Nghe An has 84 members. Many poetry books have been published, and I haven't had the opportunity to read them all. From what I have read, I think the quality of poetry in general is not high. To be honest, many poetry collections and individual poems haven't caught up with the emotional rhythm and linguistic innovation of modern poetry. However, standing out in this general poetry scene, Nghe An still has authors whose works are frequently published in literary newspapers and magazines nationwide. There are also poets who are considered by public opinion to be among the top, pioneers in innovation and creativity among contemporary poets. Authors from Nghe An whose poems are frequently published in literary newspapers, the magazine "Writers and Works," and magazines from other provinces include: Tran Thu Ha, Le Quoc Han, Vo Van Vinh, Tung Bach, Truong Tho, and several others. Within the province, poets such as Luong Khac Thanh, Duy Nang, Pham Ba Thai Tam, and Cao Xuan Thuong are also striving for new, increasingly vibrant and higher-quality works.

These are also very noteworthy contributions of contemporary Nghe An poetry. There are a number of young authors, especially female authors from Nghe An, who are highly educated, skilled, passionate about writing, and have achieved initial successes. While I have great faith in them and want to encourage them, I haven't read all of their works, so I regret that I cannot offer any comments on them here. I am only pleased to note that Nghe An literature still has young authors carrying on its legacy.

- Mr. Poet, what do you think needs to be done to help the Literature and Arts Association better fulfill its mission and contribute to the better development of literature and arts in our province?

The Association of Literature and Arts is an organization of authors, an organization of creative writers in the field of literature and art. The primary and ultimate task of each author, as well as of the association, is to produce high-quality literary and artistic works. Authors' self-assessment, and the association's assessment of its activities, must always be based on its primary and central task: creating literary and artistic works. All tasks and activities of the association, no matter how complex or diverse, ultimately aim at creating works. The success of the association must also be judged by the quality of the products produced by the association and its members. If all members focus on this central task, and if the association's leadership uses this central task to manage its work, unnecessary complexities will be significantly reduced.

According to poet Thach Quy, the leaders of the Association of Literature and Arts should focus more on the quality of literary works. Photo: Hai Vuong

In my opinion, during the next term, the Association's leadership should focus more on the quality of the works. They shouldn't invest in and publish works in a haphazard manner. Investing in a haphazard way without considering quality will diminish the motivation of each author to strive for higher-quality works. Similarly, a haphazard approach to printing will lower the quality of the magazine.

If the literary and artistic awards of the Association are not judged fairly and accurately, or lack the consensus and acceptance of the members, it can easily cause disunity and leave a negative impression on the public.

To achieve these goals, in the next term, the Association should have writers, poets, and literary critics capable of evaluating literary works. Everything needs to be open and transparent. All concerns and questions from members should be answered promptly, including questions about the quality of the works. If this is done, I believe the Association will be united, everyone will focus on creative work, and the quality of the magazine will be improved...