O

by Tammy Nguyen

Nonfiction, poetry, diasporic literature

144 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2022

Reviews

[Brainard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of this author, I subscribe to Martha’s Quarterly, which is a series of beautiful hand made artists books she publishes, and so inexpensive, they are clearly made for love and beauty only. The author has an exceptional eye for book design and typography be it for elaborate zine like publications or this handsome book with letterpress covers and an interior that includes die-cut gatefolds, hand punched holes and more. How beautiful to read and hold! I could go on about it’s beautiful form, but that is just the frame for this page turner about a topic that is personal and almost impossible to put down. She is a gifted writer and brings you to Vietnam and New York on a personal and poetic journey. I can’t say enough how much I love this book. Thank you.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Combining art (the author’s own), music, history, cultural critique, and autobiography, Tammy Nguyen’s O explores the layers of her and her extended family’s immigrant experience, ranging from the U.S. war in Viet Nam to property development to spelunking to dental implants, to pottery and painting. How she connects these disparate people, things, and experiences—how she brings her story full circle to the O of the book’s title—is what makes this memoir fascinating and insightful.

[Maria Gambale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful interweaving of at least three stories, if you don’t count Socrates. Brief and beautifully laid out and just enough.

Fun fact: I volunteered for an afternoon at Ugly Ducking Press and got to play a minor role in the making, punching holes and packaging.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"His own teeth were perfect and, I always assumed, natural. It was not until years later that my father told me that my uncle's perfect smile, just like his nose and eyelids, was fake" (18).