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Vu Tran

Goodreads Author

Born

in Saigon, Viet Nam

Website

http://www.vutranwriter.com

Twitter

roomwithavu

Member Since

December 2014

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Vu Tran is the author of Dragonfish—a NYT Notable Book and a San Francisco Chronicle Best Books of the Year—and a forthcoming novel, Your Origins. His other writing has appeared in publications like the O. Henry Prize Stories, Best American Mystery Stories, Ploughshares, and Virginia Quarterly, and he guest-edited McSweeney’s Issue #78: The Make Believers. He is also the recipient of a Whiting Award and fellowships from the NEA, MacDowell, Yaddo, and Bread Loaf. Born in Vietnam and raised in Oklahoma, Vu completed his MFA at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and his PhD at the Black Mountain Institute in Las Vegas, and is an Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Chicago, where he directs undergraduate studies in creative writing.

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Vu Tran’s books

Average rating: 3.78 · 5,365 ratings · 858 reviews · 11 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Displaced: Anthology of refugee writers describing loss, resilience, and unexpected new homes. by Viet Thanh Nguyen (Goodreads Author) (Editor), David Bezmozgis (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Thi Bui (Contributor) 4.35 avg rating — 2,418 ratings — published 2018 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dragonfish 3.25 avg rating — 2,480 ratings — published 2015 — 17 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The O. Henry Prize Stories 2007 by Laura Furman (Series Editor), Charles D'Ambrosio (Juror), Ursula K. Le Guin (Juror) 3.70 avg rating — 290 ratings — published 2007 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Las Vegas Noir by Jarret Keene (Editor), Todd James Pierce (Editor), John O'Brien (Contributor) 3.49 avg rating — 180 ratings — published 2008 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	McSweeney's Issue 78: The Make Believers (McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, 78) by Dave Eggers, Thi Bui (editor), Vu Tran (Goodreads Author) (editor) 3.78 avg rating — 51 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Colors of April: Fiction on the Vietnam War’s Legacy 50 Years Later by Quan Manh Ha, Quyen Ngo (Narrator), Cab Tran 4.66 avg rating — 35 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dead Neon: Tales of Near-Future Las Vegas (Western Literature and Fiction Series) by Todd James Pierce (Editor), Jarret Keene (Editor), Felicia Campbell (Contributor) 3.36 avg rating — 28 ratings — published 2010 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Small Blows Against Encroaching Totalitarianism - Volume Two by Jonathan Lethem (Contributor ), Sloane Crosley (Goodreads Author) (Contributor ), Chen Chen (Contributor ) 3.87 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2019	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Disparue à Las Vegas (Mercure Noir) (French Edition) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Three Birthdays 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Vu’s Recent Updates

Vu Tran voted for Homeseeking as Readers' Favorite Historical Fiction in the Opening Round of the 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards. Cast Your Vote
Nov 11, 2025 10:18AM · like
Vu Tran and 5 other people liked PhuongAnh Le's review of The Colors of April: Fiction on the Vietnam War’s Legacy 50 Years Later: "This is a thoughtful collection that invites readers to see Vietnam as more than a battlefield, focusing instead on the enduring human stories behind the headlines. While individual stories may vary in their appeal based on personal preference, and c" Read more of this review »
Mar 21, 2025 03:07PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Colors of April by Quan Manh Ha. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Colors of April by Quan Manh Ha <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Vu Tran (?)

“The lesson of my childhood was that if you anticipate misfortune, you make it hurt less. It’s a fool’s truth, but what truth isn”
― Vu Tran, Dragonfish

4 likes

“The world is full of people who care but never quite care enough.”
― Vu Tran, Dragonfish

tags: life

3 likes

“[She] had a habit of putting things in that way, as though she had accidently set your house on fire and had no choice now but to stand back and watch it burn.”
― Vu Tran, Dragonfish

tags: gritty, life, noir

2 likes

See all Vu Tran's quotes »

Polls

What will be our July 2019 Open Pick?

Remember, if you vote for a book and it wins, you are implicitly promising to read the book and participate in the discussion. If you fail to join in, you may find yourself condemned to spend all eternity listening to the likes of Trump and Farage (sorry, it's election day here)...

The poll will be open through May 30th. (Note: Check for availability before voting. You can change your vote at any time prior to the closing of the poll.) Discussion will begin on July 1st.

There but for the by Ali Smith

5 votes, 25.0%

Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

4 votes, 20.0%

Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi

4 votes, 20.0%

The Overstory by Richard Powers

4 votes, 20.0%

Dragonfish by Vu Tran

3 votes, 15.0%

Red Clocks by Leni Zumas

0 votes, 0.0%

20 total votes

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