Ngo Tu Lap has published three collections of poems in Vietnam, as well as five works of fiction, five collections of essays, and many translations from Russian, French, and English. Black Stars, co-translated by Martha Collins, is the first collection of his work in English and received the PEN Poetry in Translation Award. He is currently the Dean of the Department of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Economics at the International School (Vietnam National University) in Hanoi.
Simultaneously occupying past, present, and future, this collection suffuses image with memory and darkness with abundant light. In these masterful translations—printed alongside the original Vietnamese—the poems sing out with the wisdom that comes to those who have lived through war, traveled far, and seen a great deal.
