Vietnam Awards Friendship Order to American Poets

General Secretary and President To Lam on September 22nd awarded the Friendship Order to poets Kevin Bowen and Bruce Weigl in recognition of their significant contributions to promoting Vietnamese literature and culture.
Both poets, Kevin Bowen and Bruce Weigl, have made positive contributions to translating and effectively promoting Vietnamese literary works. They organize exchanges and connect writers of the two countries, contribute to building a bridge of friendship between Vietnam and the United States.

Kevin Bowen - A Brave Advocate for Peace

Born in Massachusetts, USA, in 1947, poet Kevin Bowen served in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1969. However, he quickly realized the futility of the war and joined the anti-war movement while still in the military. Upon returning to the United States, he continued his fight, using his pen and voice to oppose the war of aggression.

As Head of the William Joiner Center at the University of Massachusetts, Kevin Bowen has gathered leading intellectuals and writers from the United States to participate in the activities of the Center in explaining the failures and crimes of the United States in the Vietnam War, while calling on the US government to lift the embargo and normalize relations with Vietnam. He also introduced works of literature about Vietnam's fight for independence to American universities and the public.

Despite facing challenges posed by the US embargo, Kevin Bowen and his colleagues at the William Joiner Center successfully invited nearly 200 Vietnamese writers to the United States. His home became a welcoming place for these writers during their visits.

Facing threats to his family's safety from anti-Vietnam groups in the United States, Kevin Bowen remained steadfast in his efforts to promote Vietnam. He continued to organize events to introduce Vietnamese literature to American audiences, providing Vietnamese writers with platforms to share their stories of struggle, peace, and independence.

He returned to Vietnam many times for cultural and educational exchanges, notably a visit to Vietnam in 1991. Kevin Bowen led a delegation of American veteran writers to Vietnam to conduct the first-ever seminar on the Vietnam War and bilateral relations with the Vietnam Writers' Association, despite all American veteran writers, especially himself, being threatened and facing protests in front of the William Joiner Center in Boston.

Bowen has published many collections of poetry and prose related to Vietnam, receiving numerous major awards for his contributions to culture, including the Medal for Cultural Achievements from the Vietnam Writers' Association (2010) and the Phan Chu Trinh Prize (2011). He is also known for his talent in painting, often painting portraits of Vietnamese writers whom he knows and admires.

Bruce Weigl - An American Poet who loves Vietnam

Bruce Weigl, born in 1949, is a leading contemporary American poet, translator, and university professor. Weigl has published 13 volumes of poetry and the acclaimed memoir about his Vietnamese adopted daughter. A Vietnam War veteran since 1967, Weigl, like Kevin Bowen, was involved in the anti-war movement upon his return to the United States. He was also one of the first Americans to return to Vietnam to help heal the wounds of war.

Poet Bruce Weigl presented poet Nguyen Quang Thieu, director of the Vietnam Writers Association with the poetry collection "Song of Napalm" in August 2024 in Oberlin, Ohio, USA. Photo: Nguyen Quang Thieu

Weigl is known for his outstanding poetry collections about the Vietnam War, which were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. He is considered a Vietnam scholar due to his deep understanding of Vietnamese culture and literature, with nearly 100 poetry readings and presentation about Vietnam and the Vietnamese people in the United States.

Steadfast love for Vietnam

Both poets, Kevin Bowen and Bruce Weigl, have been pioneers in building cultural bridges between Vietnam and the United States. Their courage, perseverance, and enduring love for Vietnam have enabled them to overcome numerous obstacles and threats in their tireless pursuit of peace and mutual understanding.

Poets Kevin Bowen and Nguyen Quang Thieu in Boston, USA in August 2024. Photo: Nguyen Quang Thieu

Director of the Vietnam Writers' Association Nguyen Quang Thieu said that Kevin Bowen and Bruce Weigl represent a large number of American writers, poets, and veterans who continuously strive for peace, justice, and beautiful human relationships in the world.