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Watercolor illustration of a soldier in uniform holding a rifle with a flowering tree in the background. The title 'Battlefield Blooming' is at the top and the author's name 'Đỗ Nguyên Mai' is at the bottom.

Books

Battlefield Blooming

Mai Nguyen Do

In the opening poem of Battlefield Blooming, “Midnight Notes to the Martyr Nhất Chi Mai,” Do begins the collection by echoing a decades-old plea for peace from a young Buddhist nun.

In the opening poem of Battlefield Blooming, “Midnight Notes to the Martyr Nhất Chi Mai,” Do begins the collection by echoing a decades-old plea for peace from a young Buddhist nun. Unlike many, Do refuses to shy away from the gruesome, vivid image of the self-immolating nun, instead confronting it directly: “Martyr, I am your backwards reflection. / My body is a flaming torch / I did not light.”

We are pleased to present Mai Nguyen Do’s second collection, which marks a substantial achievement for the young poet in the depth and range of their work,

Nor Sanavongsay, Sahtu Press
Portrait of Mai Nguyen Do smiling, with long black hair, in a white blazer over a black top against a gray wall.

Mai Nguyen Do (Đỗ Nguyên Mai) is a Vietnamese writer, teacher and political scientist from Southern California. They hold a Ph.D. in political science from UC Riverside and teach at Mt. San Antonio College. Battlefield Blooming is their second poetry collection, after Ghosts Still Walking (Platypus Press, 2016).

donguyenmai.com