15 responses

  1. Ted Nelson
    April 19, 2011

    What an awesome interview. I read a book by Larry Heinemann called Black Virgin Mountain that reminded me of this story. Heinemann is an American author from Chicago that fought in the war and wrote the famous book Paco’s story. The book is about his return to Vietnam as a tourist and it reminded me of this interview except this has a totally different perspective being that the subject is Vietnamese and grew up in America.

    Reply

    • Leslie Koch
      April 20, 2011

      I’ll have to check out Heinemann’s book. I agree, GB Tran’s perspective is unique; his family in Vietnam fought on both sides of the war, and he was born and raised in the US. I’d recommend reading “Vietnamerica”– the illustrations alone are amazing!

      Reply

  2. Juno
    April 20, 2011

    Wow, this is one seriously cool interview. Really a good job! I’ve met someone like him on the road few times, and it was great to hear their perspective as well. Many of our generation don’t really have a memory of their country or their parents’ country, but it’s still important to find their root at some point. Great piece.

    Reply

    • Leslie Koch
      April 20, 2011

      Thanks Juno! It was a pleasure interviewing GB. We sat down and had a lengthy conversation, and he was very open about his experience. As a traveler, I could really relate to his journey.

      Reply

  3. Ciki
    April 20, 2011

    his art is amazing! well done Les.. great interview.. that contemplative shot of Tran is amazing:)

    Reply

    • Leslie Koch
      April 20, 2011

      Thanks Ciki! Although I can’t take credit for the photo portrait. It is a beautiful shot 🙂

      Reply

  4. Dave from The Longest Way Home
    April 20, 2011

    Very interesting to see the reflections of Tran going to Vietnam under these circumstances. While most Vietnamese don’t have a grudge or anything towards the USA, many people still feel they do.

    The younger generation simply don’t care. And, since they one, don’t make as big a deal as the USA does out of it. I always find this very interesting.

    I think Tran’s immersion into the culture there would have given such an insight too. For a graphic artist, this must be a great source of inspiration.

    Nice Interview Leslie, good reading!

    Reply

    • Leslie Koch
      April 20, 2011

      Thanks Dave! Glad you enjoyed the interview. I like that GB Tran always travels with a sketchbook; it must be interesting to view a country from an artist’s perspective…

      Reply

  5. Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista
    April 20, 2011

    Really enjoyed this interview! The perspective he offers has me very interested in reading his book. I think there is a lot of misunderstanding regarding Vietnam.

    Reply

  6. santafetraveler
    April 20, 2011

    It is eye-catching and love the title!

    Reply

  7. Alyson Smith
    April 21, 2011

    Very interesting interview!

    Reply

  8. Maria A
    April 23, 2011

    What a wonderful profile of an artist who was able to channel his family’s experiences into an accomplished book!

    Reply

  9. Jeff D.
    July 7, 2011

    Having shared a similar background, I enjoyed reading that piece. However, as the COO of Pho24 Corporation, where the above picture was taken, I cringe at the inference of our core product being the result of his “explosive diarrhea”. Perhaps a one-liner clarification is justified and appreciated.

    Reply

    • Leslie Koch
      July 7, 2011

      Glad you liked the interview. The photo was intended to be an example of a popular type of Vietnamese cuisine; I’ve added a line in the caption that clarifies this was not the dish that made GB ill.

      Reply

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