Barbara Tran's Bio

About Barbara

In the Mynah Bird's Own Words, Barbara Tran's debut poetry collection, was selected by Robert Wrigley as the winner of Tupelo Press's chapbook competition. It was also named a finalist for the PEN Open Book Award, ForeWord's "Book of the Year," and the Asian American Writers' Workshop "Members' Choice" award.

Other writing honors include a Lannan Foundation Writing Residency, Bread Loaf Writers' Conference Scholarship, MacDowell Colony Gerald Freund Fellowship, Millay Colony residency, NY Community Trust: Edward and Sally Van Lier Fellowship, and Pushcart Prize.

Barbara is coeditor, along with Monique Truong and Luu Truong Khoi, of Watermark: Vietnamese American Poetry and Prose (Asian American Writers' Workshop, 1998), and editor of a special issue of Michigan Quarterly Review, entitled Viet Nam: Beyond the Frame, (Fall 2004).

What's Happening Now

Barbara is currently at work on a second poetry collection and a novel.

The Longer Story

Barbara received her B.A. from New York University and her M.F.A. from Columbia University. She has given public readings of her work in fifteen states. Sponsors and venues include the PEN Readers and Writers program; the UMASS, Boston, Joiner Center for the Study of War and Social Consequences; the Brooklyn Museum of Art; the Asian Pacific American Librarians' Association; the Joseph Papp Public Theater; the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, and the Asian American Writers' Workshop.

Barbara is featured in filmmaker Yunah Hong's documentary Between the Lines: Asian American Women's Poetry. She has read on KQED's Pacific Time, hosted by Nguyen Qui Duc (listen: May 6, 2004 segment); Radio Bavaria; WBAI's "Power of the Word," hosted by Martha Cinader; and Pacifica Radio. (See Barbara's publications page for more information on audios and interviews.)

Beyond the Page

Barbara can also be heard (not reading her own work) on the University of Michigan Press English as a Second Language audiotapes Mastery and Speaking and Social Interaction. For the latter, she read in the roles of narrator, Anne Ashley, phone caller, Karen, Penny, and Gina. She also appeared, in the role of library visitor, in the New York Public Library's Annual Report.

One of Barbara's more lucrative (can it get less lucrative than poetry?) interests is Web design.

One of her graphic designs, a menu for her sister's restaurant, Mo' Pho (pun intended), was featured by Jay Leno on one of his Headlines segments on The Tonight Show.

Who's in the House

Barbara lives in Vermont and Virginia with the economist Robert Gazzale, the feline Jezebel , the canine Tomba, and four Phals.

Fame in the Family

Ma Tran was featured in Gourmet Magazine, when she was head chef at Cuisine de Saigon in New York City.

KT, one of Barbara's three sisters (whom you might have seen years ago on the Regis and Kathy Lee Show), is now the owner/proprietor of two New Jersey restaurants: Mo' Pho in Fort Lee and Saigon R in Englewood.

Leo, one of Barbara's three brothers, can be seen occasionally on dramas filmed in NYC.

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