283 posts, eight strands of interest, and one student still teaching himself — from 02/19 to 09/16/2026.
Part I
Foreword: what this blog is
If this is your first visit to Hoctroviet, you might feel a bit disoriented: one post about the chords in Phạm Duy's music, the next explaining the architecture of an Nvidia GPU chip, and the one after that a page of memoir translated from French, written nearly two hundred years ago. This isn't a blog that wanders off topic. This is exactly how it has always been written — only this year, the pace picked up considerably.
In the past, a post like that would usually take a full week: tracking down the original source, reading it, taking notes, and only then writing — and most of that time went into the finding and reading, not the writing. Not every idea was worth a week like that, so many got shelved indefinitely. The clearest change this year isn't in the quality of any single post — I still have to do my own reading, still have to decide for myself what's trustworthy — it's that the finding-and-reading stage got short enough that ideas that used to sit on the shelf finally got a chance to become real posts.
Hoctroviet is, quite literally, the journal of a student: someone still teaching himself, who doesn't stand as an expert on any subject he writes about. Unlike the self-study notebooks of years past, this year brought a new companion along: Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant. Claude doesn't do my thinking for me — it helps me look things up faster, read more closely material I used to have to skip for lack of time, and, most importantly, dare to attempt things I certainly couldn't manage alone: transcribing a song's musical notation from a scan faded by the years, translating a page of memoir written in old French, building a vocabulary-comparison table across two hundred and forty Trịnh Công Sơn songs, or tracking down an Italian album that even Italians themselves rarely mention anymore.
The result, after more than seven months, is a number that startled even me when I sat down to tally it up: 283 new posts, counting from February 19 to today — not including a batch restoration on March 22, when I republished a large number of old posts while reorganizing the blog's archive. That batch landed on a single day with hundreds of overlapping timestamps, so this roundup deliberately leaves that date out — not because those old posts aren't worth reading, but because they aren't "this year's posts" in the sense a year-end roundup actually means.
If there's a single thread running between a post analyzing a motif in Phạm Duy's music and one explaining why a GPU can process millions of calculations in parallel, it's probably the approach: check the source first, draw conclusions second. For music, the source is the printed score, the composer's own memoirs, the press of the era — not memory or hearsay about a song heard long ago. For technology, the source is technical documentation, original interviews, or published policy — not a summary skimmed off the internet somewhere. That habit of stopping to find the original before writing turns out to be exactly where Claude helps the most: it doesn't get tired rereading a scanned page for the third time, and it isn't afraid to say "not sure" when a note on the score is too faded to read with confidence.
There's a small detail that, if you look closely at the post list, seems rather strange: some posts appear not just in Vietnamese and English, but in French, Italian, Spanish, and once even Japanese — the same post, translated into several versions. The April post about conductor Raymond Lefèvre has as many as five different language versions; so does the reflective piece "Three Months with Claude." This isn't because I speak five languages — it's an experiment: to see whether a post, once its sources have been verified by hand in Vietnamese, can still "live" in another language, and, incidentally, to give the French and Italian figures I write about a version their own countrymen can actually read.
The name "học trò" ("student") isn't something I gave myself for show. There's a post from early August titled "The Teachers I Have Never Met" — about people I've learned enormously from but never sat in a classroom with: the author of a memoir, a researcher abroad, an engineer writing technical documentation, and even an AI assistant. The spirit of the whole year's writing fits neatly inside that title.
This post is divided into four parts. Part I is what you're reading now. Part II is a map by topic — eight tables, each gathering posts along the same strand of interest, with a short introduction so you know where to start if you only have ten minutes to spare. Part III is a few numbers and some honest reflection on writing alongside AI over one specific year — not general theorizing. Part IV, at the end, is a single table containing all 283 posts, sorted by date from today back to the starting point, for anyone who wants to read in strict chronological order and needs just one place to start.
Part II
Map by Topic
The eight tables below don't come from Blogger's automatic labels — they're how I grouped things myself after looking back over this year's entire list. Many posts carry several labels at once — a post about Phạm Duy might be tagged both as "composer" and as "Claude AI" because it was written with Claude — so each post in Part II is placed in exactly one table, according to its primary strand of interest, so you don't have to read the same thing twice across tables. The master table in Part IV goes the other way: it includes all 283 posts, none left out, sorted by date. The order of the eight tables isn't random or based on post count either: the first five run the full circuit of music — from Phạm Duy out to other Vietnamese composers, then Leaqua, then France–Italy, then Britain–America — before moving into letters, then technology, and closing with the miscellany that doesn't fit neatly anywhere. Roughly speaking, it goes from what I love most to what's hardest to name.
Phạm Duy & Songwriting Technique
52 postsThis is still Hoctroviet's main thread, and also where Claude changed how I write the most. In early April, an entire cluster of nearly twenty posts arrived almost in one continuous run: the four-part "Four Seasons of Love in Phạm Duy's Music" (Spring–Summer–Autumn–Winter), the journey from Trường Ca Con Đường Cái Quan to Tình Ca Con Đường Tình Ta Đi, and a post bluntly titled "Gamme Phamduyrienne" — an attempt to find out whether Phạm Duy had a "scale of his own." Then May brought the "100 Songs of Phạm Duy" series and all ten Đạo Ca songs written with poet Phạm Thiên Thư, each song its own entry. Starting in July, the direction shifted toward Schoenberg's compositional framework — originally written for classical music — applied to Phạm Duy's songs: the "opening gambits" in his melodies, how a single musical motif "survives" through each variation, and a post that asks outright why someone else's poetry, once set to music by Phạm Duy, still sounds unmistakably "Phạm Duy." Closing out this section is the documentary material: correspondence with researcher George Gauthier, a pair of guides to the "phím lõm" guitar, and news of Phạm Duy's memoirs being released on Amazon. If you only read one table in this whole post, this is the one to start with.
| Date | Post |
|---|---|
| 08/27/2026 |
A Few Thoughts on Georges E. Gauthier's Series About Phạm Duy
VN: "Một vài cảm nghĩ về loạt bài của Georges E. Gauthier viết về
Phạm Duy"
|
| 08/24/2026 |
Phạm Duy's Reply (to George E. Gauthier): Gratitude to a Kindred
Listener
VN: "Bài đáp lễ của Phạm-Duy (tới George E. Gauthier): Tri ân người
tri âm"
|
| 08/21/2026 | Available on Amazon USA: Memoirs of Phạm Duy, a Vietnamese Musician in a Turbulent Century: Coming of Age in the North (1921-1945) [Book 1] |
| 08/19/2026 |
The Fingerprint Isn't in the Words — Why Someone Else's Poetry,
Once Set to Music, Is Still Phạm Duy
VN: "Vân Tay Không Nằm Ở Chữ — Vì Sao Thơ Người Khác, Phổ Xong, Vẫn
Là Phạm Duy"
|
| 08/18/2026 |
The Phím Lõm Guitar: What It Is and How to Play It
VN: "Guitar Phím Lõm: Là Gì và Chơi Thế Nào"
|
| 08/18/2026 |
The Phím Lõm Guitar — An Online Resource Guide
VN: "Guitar Phím Lõm — Cẩm Nang Tài Nguyên Trên Mạng"
|
| 08/13/2026 |
A Few Lines Are Enough to Know Who Wrote It — Three Composers (Phạm
Duy, Trịnh Công Sơn, Lê Uyên Phương), Four Vocabularies, and the
Trap of the Word "Nhau"
VN: "Nghe Vài Câu Là Biết Ai Viết — Ba Nhạc Sĩ (Phạm Duy, Trịnh Công
Sơn, Lê Uyên Phương), Bốn Kho Chữ, Và Cái Bẫy Của Chữ "Nhau""
|
| 08/12/2026 |
Phạm Duy — "Two-Syllable Words": A Survey of Reduplicatives and
Compounds in the 100 Love Songs
VN: "Phạm Duy — "Từ đôi": khảo sát từ láy / từ ghép song tiết trong
100 Tình Khúc"
|
| 08/01/2026 |
Phạm Duy, Đại Lực Sĩ (The Strongman)
VN: "Phạm Duy, Ðại Lực Sĩ"
|
| 08/01/2026 |
FROM TRƯỜNG CA CON ĐƯỜNG CÁI QUAN TO TÌNH CA CON ĐƯỜNG TÌNH TA ĐI —
UNDERSTANDING "ROAD" IN PHẠM DUY'S MUSIC
VN: "TỪ TRƯỜNG CA CON ĐƯỜNG CÁI QUAN ĐẾN TÌNH CA CON ĐƯỜNG TÌNH TA
ĐI - TÌM HIỂU "ĐƯỜNG" TRONG NHẠC PHẠM DUY"
|
| 08/01/2026 |
Phạm Duy — Ngàn Lời Ca Khác — Original Versions & Vietnamese
Lyrics on YouTube
VN: "Phạm Duy — Ngàn Lời Ca Khác — Nguyên Tác & Lời Việt trên
YouTube"
|
| 08/01/2026 |
Phạm Duy — Ngàn Lời Ca — YouTube Links by Song, Era, and Singer
VN: "Phạm Duy — Ngàn Lời Ca - YouTube Links theo Bài Hát từng Thời
Kỳ và Ca Sĩ"
|
| 07/26/2026 |
Opening Moves — Phạm Duy's Gambits: The Seed, the Branching
Variations, and the Eight Middle Bars
VN: "Khai Cuộc — Những Thế Cờ Mở Của Phạm Duy: hạt mầm, nhánh biến,
và tám nhịp giữa"
|
| 07/26/2026 |
Phạm Duy, of a Loving Nature
VN: "Phạm Duy, Nòi Tình"
|
| 07/25/2026 |
Quỳnh Giao: A Letter to You
VN: "Quỳnh Giao: Thư Gửi Anh"
|
| 07/25/2026 |
Phạm Duy: A Lifetime of Laughing and Weeping With His Country's
Fate
VN: "Phạm Duy Trọn Đời Khóc Cười Theo Vận Nước"
|
| 07/25/2026 |
The World of Phạm Duy's Songs (Through the Lens of Phạm Văn Kỳ
Thanh)
VN: "Thế Giới Ca Khúc Phạm Duy (qua lăng kính Phạm Văn Kỳ Thanh)"
|
| 07/14/2026 |
Twelve Schoenberg Chapters in "Ngàn Lời Ca Khác": When Phạm Duy
Wrote Vietnamese Lyrics for Other People's Music
VN: "Mười Hai Chương Schoenberg Trong “Ngàn Lời Ca Khác”: Khi Phạm
Duy Soạn Lời Việt Cho Nhạc Của Thiên Hạ"
|
| 07/09/2026 |
The Musical Idea That Generates the Lyrics: Schoenberg's Toolkit
and Phạm Duy's Hundred Love Songs of a Lifetime
VN: "Nhạc Đề Sáng Tác Ra Lời: Bí Kíp Của Schoenberg Và Trăm Bài Tình
Ca Một Đời Người Của Phạm Duy"
|
| 07/01/2026 |
The Deeper Layers of Meaning in Phạm Duy's Music: Going Beyond
Musical Technique
VN: "Những Tầng Nghĩa Sâu Trong Nhạc Phạm Duy: Đi Xa Hơn Kỹ Thuật Âm
Nhạc"
|
| 05/13/2026 |
Phạm Duy and Phạm Thiên Thư's 10 Đạo Ca Songs — Song 10: Tâm Xuân
(Spring Mind) — The Three Teachings as One Source
VN: "Phạm Duy và Phạm Thiên Thư với 10 Bài Đạo Ca - Bài 10: Tâm Xuân
(Tam Giáo Đồng Nguyên)"
|
| 05/13/2026 |
Phạm Duy and Phạm Thiên Thư's 10 Đạo Ca Songs — Song 9: Chắp Tay
Hoa (Hands Folded in a Lotus) — Taking Refuge
VN: "Phạm Duy và Phạm Thiên Thư với 10 Bài Đạo Ca - Bài 9: Chắp Tay
Hoa (Quy Y)"
|
| 05/13/2026 |
Phạm Duy and Phạm Thiên Thư's 10 Đạo Ca Songs — Song 8: Giọt Chuông
Cam Lộ (Drop of the Sweet-Dew Bell)
VN: "Phạm Duy và Phạm Thiên Thư với 10 Bài Đạo Ca - Bài 8: Giọt
Chuông Cam Lộ"
|
| 05/13/2026 |
Phạm Duy and Phạm Thiên Thư's 10 Đạo Ca Songs — Song 7: Qua Suối
Mây Hồng (Crossing the Rose-Cloud Stream) — Wordlessness
VN: "Phạm Duy và Phạm Thiên Thư với 10 Bài Đạo Ca - Bài 7: Qua Suối
Mây Hồng (Vô Ngôn)"
|
| 05/13/2026 |
Phạm Duy and Phạm Thiên Thư's 10 Đạo Ca Songs — Song 6: Lời Ru Bú
Mớm Nâng Niu (A Lullaby of Nursing and Cherishing)
VN: "Phạm Duy và Phạm Thiên Thư với 10 Bài Đạo Ca - Bài 6: Lời Ru Bú
Mớm Nâng Niu"
|
| 05/13/2026 |
Phạm Duy and Phạm Thiên Thư's 10 Đạo Ca Songs — Song 5: Một Cành
Mai (A Branch of Apricot Blossom)
VN: "Phạm Duy và Phạm Thiên Thư với 10 Bài Đạo Ca - Bài 5: Một Cành
Mai"
|
| 05/13/2026 |
Phạm Duy and Phạm Thiên Thư's 10 Đạo Ca Songs — Song 4: Quán Thế Âm
(Avalokiteśvara) — Transformation
VN: "Phạm Duy và Phạm Thiên Thư với 10 Bài Đạo Ca - Bài 4: Quán Thế
Âm (Hoá Thân)"
|
| 05/13/2026 |
Phạm Duy and Phạm Thiên Thư's 10 Đạo Ca Songs — Song 3: The Brave
Warrior and the Golden Horse
VN: "Phạm Duy và Phạm Thiên Thư với 10 Bài Đạo Ca - Bài 3: Chàng
Dũng Sĩ Và Con Ngựa Vàng"
|
| 05/13/2026 |
Phạm Duy and Phạm Thiên Thư's 10 Đạo Ca Songs — Song 2: Đại Nguyện
(The Great Vow)
VN: "Phạm Duy và Phạm Thiên Thư với 10 Bài Đạo Ca - Bài 2 : Đại
Nguyện"
|
| 05/13/2026 |
Phạm Duy and Phạm Thiên Thư's 10 Đạo Ca Songs — Song 1: Pháp Thân
(The Dharma Body)
VN: "Phạm Duy và Phạm Thiên Thư với 10 Bài Đạo Ca - Bài 1: Pháp
Thân"
|
| 05/12/2026 |
100 Songs of Phạm Duy: Bài Ca Sao (Song of the Stars)
VN: "100 Bài Nhạc Phạm Duy: Bài Ca Sao"
|
| 05/12/2026 |
100 Songs of Phạm Duy: Áo Anh Sứt Chỉ Đường Tà (Your Coat's Hem
Come Undone)
VN: "100 Bài Nhạc Phạm Duy: Áo Anh Sứt Chỉ Đường Tà"
|
| 04/02/2026 |
Phạm Duy's Love Songs — One Lifetime, A Hundred Songs of Love
VN: "Tình Ca Phạm Duy - Một Đời Người, Trăm Khúc Tình"
|
| 04/02/2026 |
Phạm Duy: The Man and His Career
VN: "Phạm Duy: Con Người và Sự Nghiệp"
|
| 04/02/2026 |
American Rock Music (Nhạc Trẻ) With Vietnamese Lyrics by Phạm
Duy
VN: "Nhạc Rock Hoa Kỳ (Nhạc Trẻ) Với Lời Việt Của Phạm Duy"
|
| 04/02/2026 |
Friends Writing About Phạm Duy's Music
VN: "Bạn Bè Viết Về Nhạc Phạm Duy"
|
| 04/02/2026 |
Gamme Phamduyrienne — One Man's Own Scale
VN: "Gamme Phamduyrienne — Thang Âm Của Riêng Một Người"
|
| 04/02/2026 |
Phạm Duy's Memoirs — Autobiographical Literature
VN: "Hồi Ký Phạm Duy (Memoirs of Phạm Duy) — Văn Học Tự Thuật"
|
| 04/02/2026 |
Phạm Duy and the Art of Setting Poetry to Music
VN: "Phạm Duy và Nghệ Thuật Thơ Phổ Nhạc"
|
| 04/01/2026 |
Four Seasons of Love in Phạm Duy's Music — Part 2: SUMMER —
"Summer, When the Heart Has Blazed into Sunlight"
VN: "Bốn Mùa Yêu Thương Trong Nhạc Phạm Duy - PHẦN 2: HẠ - "Mùa Hè
Con Tim Đã Toả Nắng""
|
| 04/01/2026 |
Four Seasons of Love in Phạm Duy's Music — Part 1: SPRING — "Spring
Has Stirred Within Me"
VN: "Bốn Mùa Yêu Thương Trong Nhạc Phạm Duy - Phần 1: XUÂN - "Xuân
Trong Tôi Đã Khơi""
|
| 04/01/2026 |
First Steps and Resistance Songs: The Dawn of Phạm Duy
VN: "Bước Đầu và Kháng Chiến Ca: Buổi Bình Minh Của Phạm Duy"
|
| 04/01/2026 |
From Trường Ca Con Đường Cái Quan to Tình Ca Con Đường Tình Ta
Đi
VN: "Từ Trường Ca Con Đường Cái Quan Đến Tình Ca Con Đường Tình Ta
Đi"
|
| 04/01/2026 |
Honoring Phạm Duy Abroad — A Life Looked Back On (2002–2003)
VN: "Vinh Danh Phạm Duy Ở Hải Ngoại - Một Đời Nhìn Lại (2002-2003)"
|
| 04/01/2026 |
Phạm Duy Returns Home: A Devoted Fan's Love and Historic Concert
Nights
VN: "Phạm Duy Trở Về Quê Hương: Tình Yêu Của Người Mộ Điệu Và Những
Đêm Nhạc Lịch Sử"
|
| 04/01/2026 |
Four Seasons of Love in Phạm Duy's Music — Part 4: WINTER — The
Silence Before Dawn
VN: "Bốn Mùa Yêu Thương Trong Nhạc Phạm Duy - PHẦN 4: ĐÔNG - Sự Im
Lặng Trước Bình Minh"
|
| 04/01/2026 |
Four Seasons of Love in Phạm Duy's Music — Part 3: AUTUMN — "That
Autumn Afternoon"
VN: "Bốn Mùa Yêu Thương Trong Nhạc Phạm Duy - PHẦN 3: THU - "Chiều
Mùa Thu Ấy""
|
| 04/01/2026 |
Revisiting Georges E. Gauthier's "Face of the Artist" Series on
Composer Phạm Duy
VN: "Xem lại loạt bài "Khuôn Mặt Người Nghệ Sĩ" của Georges E.
Gauthier về Nhạc Sĩ Phạm Duy"
|
| 04/01/2026 |
Phạm Duy and the Ten Rong Ca Songs: A Composer's Final Wandering
VN: "Phạm Duy và Mười Bài Rong Ca: Cuộc Rong Chơi Cuối Đời Của Người
Nhạc Sĩ"
|
| 03/23/2026 |
Claude Analyzes Phạm Duy's Music Through the Song "Tiễn Em"
VN: "Claude Phân Tích Nhạc Phạm Duy Qua Nhạc Phẩm: Tiễn Em"
|
| 03/07/2026 |
BÉ CA AND NỮ CA (Songs for Children and Songs for Women)
VN: "BÉ CA VÀ NỮ CA"
|
| 02/19/2026 |
For the Year of the Horse 2026: Understanding Composer Phạm Duy's
Song "Ngựa Hồng"
VN: "Nhân Năm Ngựa 2026, Tìm Hiểu Nhạc Phẩm Ngựa Hồng Của Nhạc Sĩ
Phạm Duy"
|
Other Vietnamese Composers
15 postsBesides Phạm Duy, this year Hoctroviet gave a good number of pages to Trịnh Công Sơn — not just re-listening to familiar songs like "Diễm Xưa" or "Hoa Vàng Mấy Độ" for their own sake, but digging into the language itself: a survey of reduplicatives and compounds across the full two hundred and forty songs, a table classifying them into four emotional registers (Da Vàng / Love Songs / Other / Mixed), and a post devoted entirely to how he used the single word "từng." The same "two-syllable word" method was also tried on Lê Uyên Phương. Trường Kỳ was revisited as the "King of Nhạc Trẻ" through a portrait piece and an analysis of nineteen songs he "freely Vietnamized" from foreign music. Phạm Đình Chương got a roundup of links found online; Cung Tiến was discussed through the lens of Phạm Văn Kỳ Thanh; and an old Bách Khoa magazine interview with composers Nghiêm Phú Phi and Tôn Thất Tiết was republished — figures mentioned far less often than Phạm Duy, but no less deserving of it.
| Date | Post |
|---|---|
| 09/08/2026 |
Trịnh Công Sơn's Typewriter — The Word "Từng": A Grammar of
Erosion
VN: "Cái Máy Chữ Của Trịnh Công Sơn — Chữ "Từng": Ngữ pháp của sự
bào mòn"
|
| 09/01/2026 |
Bách Khoa Interviews the Music World: Nghiêm Phú Phi and Tôn Thất
Tiết (Conducted by Nguyễn Ngu Í)
VN: "Bách-Khoa phỏng vấn giới nhạc-sĩ: Nghiêm Phú Phi và Tôn Thất
Tiết (NGUYỄN NGU Í phụ trách)"
|
| 08/29/2026 |
Trịnh Công Sơn: Twenty Songs, Four Registers of the Heart
VN: "Trịnh Công Sơn: Hai Mươi Bài Hát, Bốn Cung Bậc Của Lòng"
|
| 08/27/2026 |
Bách Khoa Magazine: Some Thoughts Flowing Downstream on Trịnh Công
Sơn's Music
VN: "Báo Bách Khoa: Những ý nghĩ xuôi dòng về nhạc Trịnh Công Sơn"
|
| 08/12/2026 |
Trịnh Công Sơn's Music — A Classification of 240 Songs: Da Vàng /
Love Songs / Other / Mixed
VN: "Nhạc Trịnh Công Sơn — Bảng phân loại 240 bài: Da Vàng / Tình
Khúc / Khác / Hỗn Hợp"
|
| 08/12/2026 |
Trịnh Công Sơn — "Two-Syllable Words": A Survey of Reduplicatives
and Compounds in His Lyrics
VN: "Trịnh Công Sơn — "Từ đôi": khảo sát từ láy / từ ghép song tiết
trong lời ca"
|
| 08/11/2026 |
Lê Uyên Phương — "Two-Syllable Words": A Survey of Reduplicatives
and Compounds in His Lyrics
VN: "Lê Uyên Phương — "Từ đôi": khảo sát từ láy / từ ghép song tiết
trong lời ca"
|
| 07/24/2026 |
A Story in Music: Composer Cung Tiến Through the Lens of Phạm Văn
Kỳ Thanh
VN: "Câu Chuyện Âm Nhạc: Nhạc Sĩ Cung Tiến qua lăng kính Phạm Văn Kỳ
Thanh"
|
| 07/24/2026 |
Phạm Đình Chương on the Internet — A Roundup of Links (July
2026)
VN: "Phạm Đình Chương trên Internet — Tổng hợp đường dẫn (7/2026)"
|
| 07/13/2026 |
The Musical Idea That Survives "Free Vietnamization": Schoenberg's
Toolkit and Trường Kỳ's Nineteen Vietnamese Lyrics
VN: "Nhạc Đề Sống Sót Qua Lối "Việt Hóa Tự Do": Bí Kíp Của
Schoenberg Và Mười Chín Bài Lời Việt Của Trường Kỳ"
|
| 07/13/2026 |
Trường Kỳ: The "King of Nhạc Trẻ" and Chronicler of a Vibrant
Saigon Era
VN: "Trường Kỳ: "Vua Nhạc Trẻ" Và Người Chép Sử Của Một Thời Sài Gòn
Sôi Động"
|
| 02/26/2026 |
Diễm Xưa: Rain, Memory, and the Beginning of an Artistic World
VN: "Diễm Xưa: Mưa, Ký Ức Và Sự Khởi Đầu Của Một Thế Giới Nghệ
Thuật"
|
| 02/22/2026 |
Understanding Composer Trịnh Công Sơn's Song "Hoa Vàng Mấy Độ"
VN: "Tìm Hiểu Nhạc Phẩm "Hoa Vàng Mấy Độ" của nhạc sĩ Trịnh Công
Sơn"
|
| 02/21/2026 |
Listening Again to and Analyzing Composer Trịnh Công Sơn's Song
"Hãy Yêu Nhau Đi"
VN: "Cùng nghe lại và phân tích nhạc phẩm "Hãy Yêu Nhau Đi" của nhạc
sĩ Trịnh Công Sơn"
|
| 02/20/2026 | Finding the Common Denominator Through Four Songs by Composer Phạm Đình Chương |
Foreign Songs, Vietnamese Soul — Leaqua
10 postsLeaqua is a project of its own, born whole in a single run of ten consecutive posts: ten foreign voices/bands chosen — ABBA, The Carpenters, The Beatles, The Bee Gees, Air Supply, Barbra Streisand, Agnetha Fältskog (ABBA's voice in her post-breakup years), French singer Chimène Badi — closing with a roundup post covering twenty-five English-language songs by twenty-two different artists — each one paired with a Vietnamese lyric version and an analysis of whether a musical motif "survives" translation. This table is small but dense, closing with a separate roundup in July that revisits all twenty-five songs in the Leaqua songbook through the lens of Schoenberg's compositional toolkit.
| Date | Post |
|---|---|
| 07/08/2026 | The Motive Survives Translation: Schoenberg's Toolkit and the Twenty-Five Songs of the Leaqua Songbook |
| 03/23/2026 |
"Leaqua: Foreign Songs, Vietnamese Soul" — Post 1/10. ABBA —
Fourteen Songs for a World That Knows How to Love
VN: ""Leaqua: Nhạc Ngoại, Hồn Việt" - Bài 1 / 10. ABBA — Mười Bốn
Bài Hát Cho Một Thế Giới Biết Yêu"
|
| 03/23/2026 |
"Leaqua: Foreign Songs, Vietnamese Soul" — Post 2/10 — The
Carpenters — Twelve Songs from a Legendary Voice
VN: ""Leaqua: Nhạc Ngoại, Hồn Việt" - Bài 2 / 10 - The Carpenters —
Mười Hai Bài Hát Của Một Giọng Ca Huyền Thoại"
|
| 03/23/2026 |
"Leaqua: Foreign Songs, Vietnamese Soul" — Post 3/10 — The Beatles
— Nine (Plus Two) Songs to Understand a Century
VN: ""Leaqua: Nhạc Ngoại, Hồn Việt" - Bài 3 / 10 - The Beatles —
Chín (+ Hai) Bài Hát Để Hiểu Một Thế Kỷ"
|
| 03/23/2026 |
"Leaqua: Foreign Songs, Vietnamese Soul" — Post 4/10 — The Bee Gees
— Three Brothers and Nine Songs for a Lifetime
VN: ""Leaqua: Nhạc Ngoại, Hồn Việt" - Bài 4 / 10 - The Bee Gees — Ba
Anh Em Và Chín Bài Hát Cho Một Đời"
|
| 03/23/2026 |
"Leaqua: Foreign Songs, Vietnamese Soul" — Post 5/10 — Air Supply —
Four Songs and the Tenor Voice of the 1980s
VN: ""Leaqua: Nhạc Ngoại, Hồn Việt" - Bài 5 / 10 - Air Supply — Bốn
Bài Hát Và Giọng Tenor Của Thập Niên 80"
|
| 03/23/2026 |
"Leaqua: Foreign Songs, Vietnamese Soul" — Post 6/10 — Barbra
Streisand — Five Songs from a Voice That Changed the Standard
VN: ""Leaqua: Nhạc Ngoại, Hồn Việt" - Bài 6 / 10 - Barbra Streisand
— Năm Bài Hát Của Một Giọng Ca Làm Thay Đổi Tiêu Chuẩn"
|
| 03/23/2026 |
"Leaqua: Foreign Songs, Vietnamese Soul" — Post 7/10 — Chimène Badi
— Three French Songs for a New Voice
VN: ""Leaqua: Nhạc Ngoại, Hồn Việt" - Bài 7 / 10 - Chimène Badi — Ba
Bài Hát Pháp Cho Một Giọng Mới"
|
| 03/23/2026 |
"Leaqua: Foreign Songs, Vietnamese Soul" — Post 8/10 — Agnetha
Fältskog — Behind ABBA's Wings
VN: ""Leaqua: Nhạc Ngoại, Hồn Việt" - Bài 8 / 10 - Agnetha Fältskog
— Sau Cánh Gà ABBA"
|
| 03/23/2026 |
"Leaqua: Foreign Songs, Vietnamese Soul" — Post 9/10 — English
Without Borders — Twenty-Five Songs, Twenty-Two Artists
VN: ""Leaqua: Nhạc Ngoại, Hồn Việt" - Bài 9 / 10 - Tiếng Anh Không
Biên Giới — Hai Mươi Lăm Bài Hát, Hai Mươi Hai Nghệ Sĩ"
|
French & Italian Music Idols
46 postsThis is the second-largest table, and probably the section least people would expect if they only know Hoctroviet through its Phạm Duy posts. The whole year became a journey through the world of European orchestral and easy-listening music, following two long parallel series: "Following the Idols of French Music" — eight posts, moving through France Gall, Françoise Hardy, Sheila, Sylvie Vartan, Charles Trenet, Laurent Voulzy, Marie Laforêt, and Indila — and its Italian counterpart, stopping at Peppino di Capri, Laura Pausini, Amedeo Minghi and Mietta, then Claudio Baglioni. Baglioni was given the special treatment of a three-post cluster devoted to a single song, "Io non sono lì": the farewell of a man getting on in years, the chord-progression analysis of its "three harmonic rooms," and a supplementary post asking just how many notes the song actually gives the ear to hear — the same kind of music-theory analysis normally reserved for Phạm Duy's songs, borrowed this time for an Italian one. Alongside all that, Raymond Lefèvre — the orchestra conductor bound up with the childhoods of so many Vietnamese people — got a full biography, translated into as many as six languages (Vietnamese, English, French, Italian, Spanish, and even Japanese); Paul Mauriat, Ennio Morricone, and Demis Roussos each made their own appearances through the year as well.
| Date | Post |
|---|---|
| 08/08/2026 |
Raymond Lefèvre — Master of the Orchestra from Calais: A Life, A
Music, and Journeys Around the World
VN: "Raymond Lefèvre — Bậc Thầy Hòa Tấu Từ Calais: Cuộc Đời, Âm
Nhạc, và Những Chuyến Du Hành Quanh Thế Giới"
|
| 08/01/2026 | Raymond Lefèvre — YouTube Links |
| 07/01/2026 |
Following the Idols of Italian Music — Post 4 — Claudio Baglioni —
Mille Giorni Di Te E Di Me (A Thousand Days of You and Me)
VN: "Theo chân những thần tượng nhạc Ý - Bài 4 - Claudio Baglioni —
Mille Giorni Di Te E Di Me (Nghìn Ngày Của Anh Và Em)"
|
| 06/30/2026 | Ennio Morricone at the CSC: On Music for Cinema |
| 06/27/2026 |
The Sound World of Maestro Ennio Morricone
IT: "Il Mondo Sonoro del Maestro Ennio Morricone"
|
| 06/21/2026 | Morricone's Cell Method in Film Scores |
| 06/21/2026 |
Supplement — How Many Notes Does "Io non sono lì" Actually Give the
Ear?
VN: "Phụ chương — Bài "Io non sono lì" cho tai nghe được mấy nốt?"
|
| 06/21/2026 |
"Io non sono lì" — Three Harmonic Rooms: A Modulation Analysis
VN: ""Io non sono lì" — Ba căn phòng hòa âm: phân tích chuyển điệu"
|
| 06/21/2026 |
"Io non sono lì" — When Claudio Baglioni Sings an Older Man's
Farewell
VN: ""Io non sono lì" — Khi Claudio Baglioni hát lời tạ từ của một
người đàn ông đứng tuổi"
|
| 06/19/2026 |
Representative Voices of the Italian Music Scene
VN: "Những giọng ca tiêu biểu của làng nhạc Ý"
|
| 06/13/2026 |
Italian Music 2025–2026: The Best Songs
VN: "Nhạc Ý 2025–2026: Những Bài Hát Hay Nhất"
|
| 06/13/2026 | Canzoni Italiane: A short listening companion through your Italian playlist |
| 04/11/2026 |
Grandorchestras.com: Twenty Years Looking Into the French Record
Collection
VN: "Grandorchestras.com: Hai Mươi Năm Nhìn Vào Tủ Đĩa Của Người
Pháp"
|
| 04/09/2026 |
Raymond Lefèvre — The Orchestral Master Born in Calais: His Life,
Music, and Journey Around the World
JA: "レイモン・ルフェーブル —
カレーが生んだオーケストラの巨匠：その生涯、音楽、そして世界への旅"
|
| 04/09/2026 |
Raymond Lefèvre — The Orchestra Master of Calais: A Life, a Music,
and Journeys Around the World
ES: "Raymond Lefèvre — El Maestro de la Orquesta de Calais: Una
Vida, una Música y Viajes por el Mundo"
|
| 04/09/2026 |
Raymond Lefèvre — The Orchestra Master of Calais: A Life, a Music,
and Journeys Around the World
IT: "Raymond Lefèvre — Il Maestro dell'Orchestra di Calais: Una
Vita, Una Musica e Viaggi Intorno al Mondo"
|
| 04/09/2026 |
Raymond Lefèvre — The Orchestra Master of Calais: A Life, a Music,
and Journeys Around the World
FR: "Raymond Lefèvre — Le Maître de l'Orchestre de Calais : Une Vie,
Une Musique et des Voyages Autour du Monde"
|
| 04/09/2026 | Raymond Lefèvre — The Orchestral Master from Calais: A Life, A Music, and Journeys Around the World |
| 04/05/2026 |
Demis Roussos — From This Flood of Memories to Other
Recollections
VN: "Demis Roussos — Từ Lũ Ký Ức Này Đến Những Kỷ Niệm Khác"
|
| 04/05/2026 |
Following the Idols of French Music — Post 8 — Indila — A Voice
From the Edge of the Sky
VN: "Theo chân những thần tượng nhạc Pháp: Bài 8 - Indila — Một
Giọng Hát Từ Cuối Trời"
|
| 04/04/2026 |
Demis Roussos — From Memory to Memory
IT: "Demis Roussos — Da ricordo in ricordo"
|
| 04/04/2026 |
Demis Roussos — From Souvenir to Souvenir
FR: "Demis Roussos — De souvenir en souvenir"
|
| 04/04/2026 | Demis Roussos — From Souvenirs to Souvenirs |
| 04/04/2026 |
Following the Idols of Italian Music — Article 3 — Amedeo Minghi,
Mietta, and "Vattene amore"
IT: "Sulle orme degli idoli della musica italiana - Articolo 3 -
Amedeo Minghi, Mietta e "Vattene amore""
|
| 04/04/2026 |
Following the Idols of Italian Music — Lesson 2 — Laura Pausini —
In Assenza Di Te
IT: "Seguendo gli idoli della musica italiana - Lezione 2 - Laura
Pausini — In Assenza Di Te"
|
| 04/04/2026 |
Following the Traces of Italian Music's Idols — Article 1 — Peppino
di Capri and "Un Grande Amore E Niente Più"
IT: "Seguendo le tracce degli idoli della musica italiana - Articolo
1 - Peppino di Capri e "Un Grande Amore E Niente Più""
|
| 04/04/2026 |
Following the Idols of Italian Music — Episode 4 — Claudio Baglioni
— Mille Giorni Di Te E Di Me
IT: "Sulle orme degli idoli della musica italiana - Puntata 4 -
Claudio Baglioni — Mille Giorni Di Te E Di Me"
|
| 04/03/2026 |
Following the Idols of French Music — Post 7 — Marie Laforêt —
Golden Eyes and a Voice That Wouldn't Stay Still
VN: "Theo chân những thần tượng nhạc Pháp - Bài 7 - Marie Laforêt —
Đôi Mắt Vàng Và Giọng Ca Không Chịu Ở Yên"
|
| 04/03/2026 | Following the French Music Idols - Article 1 - France Gall |
| 04/03/2026 |
In the Footsteps of French Music's Idols — Article 1 — France
Gall
FR: "Sur les traces des idoles de la musique française - Article 1 -
France Gall"
|
| 04/03/2026 |
In the Footsteps of French Song's Idols — Article 7 — Marie Laforêt
— The Golden Eyes and the Voice That Wouldn't Stay Still
FR: "Sur les traces des idoles de la chanson française - Article 7 -
Marie Laforêt — Les Yeux d'Or et la Voix Qui Ne Voulait Pas Se Tenir
Tranquille"
|
| 04/03/2026 | Following the French Music Idols - Article 7 - Marie Laforêt — The Golden Eyes and the Voice That Wouldn't Stay Still |
| 04/02/2026 |
Following the Idols of Italian Music — Post 1 — Peppino di Capri
and "Un Grande Amore E Niente Più"
VN: "Theo chân những thần tượng nhạc Ý - Bài 1 - Peppino di Capri và
"Un Grande Amore E Niente Più""
|
| 04/02/2026 |
Following the Idols of French Music — Post 6 — Laurent Voulzy — The
Man Who Weaves Dreams Out of Music
VN: "Theo chân những thần tượng nhạc Pháp - Bài 6 - Laurent Voulzy —
Người Đan Giấc Mơ Bằng Tiếng Nhạc"
|
| 04/02/2026 |
Following the Idols of Italian Music — Post 3 — Amedeo Minghi,
Mietta, and "Vattene amore"
VN: "Theo chân những thần tượng nhạc Ý - Bài 3 - Amedeo Minghi,
Mietta, và "Vattene amore""
|
| 04/02/2026 | Raymond Lefèvre — Primary Sources & Translated Texts from Japanese Websites |
| 04/02/2026 |
Following the Idols of Italian Music — Post 2 — Laura Pausini — In
Assenza Di Te and the Story of My Search for Music (Written in
Collaboration with Claude AI)
VN: "Theo chân những thần tượng nhạc Ý - Bài 2 - Laura Pausini — In
Assenza Di Te và câu chuyện đi tìm nhạc của tôi (Bài viết Cộng tác
với Claude AI)"
|
| 04/01/2026 |
The Formation and Development of French Music in the Early 1960s
FR: "La formation et le développement de la musique française au
début des années 1960"
|
| 03/30/2026 |
Following the Idols of French Music — Post 5 — Charles Trenet — The
Singing Madman and the Sea
VN: "Theo chân những thần tượng Nhạc Pháp - Bài 5 - Charles Trenet —
Người Điên Hát Và Biển Cả"
|
| 03/28/2026 |
Following the Idols of French Music — Post 4 — Sylvie Vartan —
France's Bulgarian Girl
VN: "Theo chân những thần tượng Nhạc Pháp - Bài 4 - Sylvie Vartan —
Cô Gái Bulgaria Của Nước Pháp"
|
| 03/28/2026 |
Following the Idols of French Music — Post 3 — Sheila — France's
Ponytail Girl
VN: "Theo chân những thần tượng Nhạc Pháp - Bài 3 - Sheila — Cô Gái
Tóc Đuôi Gà Của Nước Pháp"
|
| 03/28/2026 |
Following the Idols of French Music — Post 2 — Françoise Hardy —
The Girl Standing Alone in the Crowd
VN: "Theo chân những thần tượng Nhạc Pháp - Bài 2 - Françoise Hardy
— Cô Gái Đứng Một Mình Giữa Đám Đông"
|
| 03/27/2026 |
Following the Idols of French Music — Post 1 — France Gall With
"Poupée de cire, poupée de son" and "La déclaration d'amour"
VN: "Theo chân những thần tượng Nhạc Pháp - Bài 1 - France Gall với
"Poupée de cire, poupée de son" và "La déclaration d'amour""
|
| 03/23/2026 |
Woman With You
IT: "Donna Con Te"
|
| 03/23/2026 |
Hoc Tro: Raymond Lefèvre's Orchestral Music — Will It Endure
Through Time?
VN: "Học Trò: Dòng nhạc hòa tấu Raymond Lefèvre: CÓ CÒN MÃI VỚI THỜI
GIAN?"
|
| 02/20/2026 | Paul Mauriat: Keeper of the "Joie de Vivre" |
International English / American Music
16 postsRunning parallel to the French–Italian thread is a comprehensive, album-by-album study of ABBA: from "Ring Ring" (1973) — the beginning nobody expected — through "Waterloo" and Eurovision 1974, on to "Voulez-Vous," "Super Trouper," "The Visitors," closing with a wrap-up post running from the silent years to "Mamma Mia!," "Voyage," and the band's various reunions — eight albums in total, each with its own post, written in the space of about one week in mid-April. Air Supply got a post telling the "fifty years together" story of the duo Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell. May brought the story behind the recording night of "We Are the World." And most recently, in September, a post about The Beatles' "Yesterday" alongside the Vietnamese lyric version "Mới Hôm Qua" — closing this table with the most familiar name of all.
| Date | Post |
|---|---|
| 09/13/2026 |
A Few Thoughts on "Yesterday" — and Its Vietnamese Lyric Version
"Mới Hôm Qua"
VN: "Vài cảm nghĩ về ca khúc "Yesterday" — và bản lời Việt "Mới Hôm
Qua""
|
| 05/14/2026 |
"We Are the World" and the Story of Pop Music's Greatest Night
VN: ""We Are the World" và câu chuyện về cái đêm vĩ đại nhứt của
dòng nhạc Pop"
|
| 05/14/2026 | We Are the World: The Story of One Night That Changed the World |
| 04/18/2026 |
Closing Out the ABBA Series — From Silence to Immortality: Mamma
Mia!, Voyage, and the Reunions
VN: "Kết Thúc Loạt Bài về ABBA — Từ Im Lặng Đến Bất Tử: Mamma Mia!,
Voyage, Và Những Lần Hội Ngộ"
|
| 04/18/2026 |
ABBA — Sixth Album — Voulez-Vous (1979): A Comprehensive Study
VN: "ABBA — Album Thứ 6 - Voulez-Vous (1979): Nghiên Cứu Toàn Diện"
|
| 04/18/2026 |
ABBA — Fifth Album — The Album (1977): A Comprehensive Study
VN: "ABBA — Album Thứ 5 - The Album (1977): Nghiên Cứu Toàn Diện"
|
| 04/17/2026 |
ABBA — Fourth Album — Arrival (1976): A Comprehensive Study
VN: "ABBA — Album Thứ 4 - Arrival (1976): Nghiên Cứu Toàn Diện"
|
| 04/16/2026 |
ABBA — Third Album: ABBA (1975) — A Comprehensive Study
VN: "ABBA — Album Thứ 3: ABBA (1975) - Nghiên Cứu Toàn Diện"
|
| 04/15/2026 |
ABBA — Second Album: Waterloo and Eurovision 1974
VN: "ABBA — Album Thứ Hai: Waterloo và Eurovision 1974"
|
| 04/15/2026 |
ABBA — First Album — Ring Ring (1973): The Beginning Nobody
Expected
VN: "ABBA — Album Đầu tiên - Ring Ring (1973): Cái Khởi Đầu Chẳng Ai
Ngờ"
|
| 04/12/2026 |
ABBA — Seventh Album: Super Trouper (1980) — A Comprehensive
Study
VN: "ABBA — Album Thứ 7: Super Trouper (1980) - Nghiên Cứu Toàn
Diện"
|
| 04/12/2026 |
ABBA — Eighth Album: The Visitors (1981) — A Comprehensive Study
VN: "ABBA — Album Thứ 8: The Visitors (1981) - Nghiên Cứu Toàn Diện"
|
| 04/11/2026 |
ABBA: Four Songs on the Margins — Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!, Elaine,
Should I Laugh or Cry, and Under Attack
VN: "ABBA: Bốn Bài Hát Bên Lề — Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!, Elaine, Should
I Laugh or Cry, Và Under Attack"
|
| 04/11/2026 |
ABBA: The Day Before You Came — An Overview of ABBA's Music
VN: "ABBA: The Day Before You Came — Ngày Hôm Trước Khi Anh Đến -
Tổng Quan về nhạc ABBA"
|
| 04/02/2026 |
Air Supply: The Full Story — Music, People, and Fifty Years
Together
VN: "Air Supply: Câu Chuyện Đầy Đủ — Âm Nhạc, Con Người, và Năm Mươi
Năm Đồng Hành"
|
| 04/02/2026 | Air Supply: The Full Story — Songs, People, and a Fifty-Year Partnership |
Letters & the Old Press
18 postsThis table gathers posts not about music but about paper and print. Half of it concerns people quietly preserving a literary heritage once at risk of being lost: writer Trần Hoài Thư with Thư Quán Bản Thảo and Thư Ấn Quán, the T.Vấn & Bạn Hữu site that has "kept its lights on for twenty straight years," and a dedicated post calling him and Võ Phi Hùng "two accidental archivists" after a library was burned down. Alongside that are two large-scale inventories: the complete contents of 426 issues of Bách Khoa magazine (1957–1975) and of the overseas Văn Học / Văn Học Nghệ Thuật magazine (1978–2008), each set paired with its own author index. The other half leans toward Hán-Nôm script: Professor Đào Mộng Nam discussing Truyện Kiều and Chinese characters, Professor Nguyễn Đình-Hoà reviewing scholarship on Nôm script, the three-centuries-old Khang Hy Dictionary, and the first two parts of a homophone dictionary for Truyện Kiều built from the 1870 printed edition — including a dedicated post dissecting the structure of the 3,657 Hán-Nôm characters used in that edition of Kiều. This is the most labor-intensive section per post, and also the one that connects to a larger, still-unfinished Hán-Nôm project I'm working on in parallel.
| Date | Post |
|---|---|
| 09/15/2026 |
Other Books on Google Play Related to Nôm, Chinese Characters, and
Sino-Vietnamese
VN: "Các sách khác trên Google Play liên quan đến Nôm, Nho,
Hán-Việt"
|
| 09/12/2026 |
Sound-Pointer, Meaning-Pointer — Dissecting the Structure of 3,657
Hán-Nôm Characters in the 1870 Truyện Kiều
VN: "Chỉ Âm, Chỉ Ý — Mổ Xẻ Cấu Trúc 3.657 Chữ Hán-Nôm Trong Truyện
Kiều 1870"
|
| 09/11/2026 |
A Homophone Dictionary for Truyện Kiều — 1870 Edition (Not Yet
Fully Complete, Produced by Claude Code) — Part 2
VN: "Tự Điển Đồng Âm Truyện Kiều - Bản 1870 (chưa thật hoàn chỉnh,
do Claude Code thực hiện) - Phần 2"
|
| 09/11/2026 |
Two Accidental Archivists: Trần Hoài Thư, Võ Phi Hùng, and the
Rebuilding of a Burned Library
VN: "Hai Người Lưu Trữ Bất Đắc Dĩ: Trần Hoài Thư, Võ Phi Hùng, và
Công Cuộc Dựng Lại Một Thư Viện Đã Bị Thiêu Hủy"
|
| 09/04/2026 |
T.Vấn & Bạn Hữu: A House of Vietnamese Literature That Has Kept
Its Lights On for Twenty Years
VN: "T.Vấn & Bạn Hữu: Một Ngôi Nhà Văn Học Việt Đã Sáng Đèn Suốt
Hai Mươi Năm"
|
| 08/31/2026 |
The Khang Hy Dictionary (康熙字典) — A Dictionary, a Dynasty, and
Three Centuries of Influence
VN: "Khang Hy Tự Điển (康熙字典) — Một bộ từ điển, một triều đại, và
ba thế kỷ ảnh hưởng"
|
| 08/27/2026 |
Prof. Nguyễn Đình-Hoà: A Review of Scholarship on Nôm Script
VN: "GS Nguyễn Đình-Hoà: Kiểm điểm những công trình nghiên cứu chữ
Nôm"
|
| 08/23/2026 |
Looking at Bách Khoa Magazine Online, Once More
VN: "Xem Tạp Chí Bách Khoa Online lần nữa"
|
| 08/23/2026 |
Looking at Văn Học Nghệ Thuật Magazine Online, Once More
VN: "Xem Tạp Chí Văn Học Nghệ Thuật Online lần nữa"
|
| 08/21/2026 |
Professor Đào Mộng Nam: Truyện Kiều and Chinese Characters
VN: "Giáo Sư Đào Mộng Nam: Truyện Kiều Và Chữ Nho"
|
| 08/06/2026 |
The Names of the Authors and the Pieces They Wrote for Bách Khoa
Magazine (1957–1975)
VN: "Tên các tác giả và bài họ viết trên Tạp chí Bách Khoa
(1957-1975)"
|
| 08/06/2026 |
The Contents of All 426 Issues of Bách Khoa Magazine (1957–1975)
VN: "Nội Dung 426 số báo của Tạp chí Bách Khoa (1957-1975)"
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| 08/01/2026 |
The Names of the Authors Who Contributed to Văn Học / Văn Học Nghệ
Thuật Magazine Overseas (1978–2008)
VN: "Tên các tác giả và bài họ viết trên tạp chí Văn Học / Văn Học
Nghệ Thuật ở Hải Ngoại (1978 - 2008)"
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| 08/01/2026 |
The Contents of the Issues of Văn Học / Văn Học Nghệ Thuật Magazine
Overseas (1978–2008)
VN: "Nội Dung các số báo của Tạp chí Văn Học / Văn Học Nghệ Thuật ở
Hải Ngoại (1978 - 2008)"
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| 07/28/2026 |
The Fate of Encounter in Southern Vietnamese Folk Calls (Câu Hò)
VN: "Duyên Hội-Ngộ Trong Câu Hò Miền Nam"
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| 06/26/2026 |
🌏 Nguyễn Tài Ngọc: A World-Journey Diary — Travel Writing of a
Vietnamese Abroad
VN: "🌏 Nguyễn Tài Ngọc: Nhật Ký Hành Trình Thế Giới — Du Ký Một
Người Việt Xa Xứ"
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| 06/19/2026 |
The Journey of Văn Học Magazine
VN: "Hành trình Tạp chí Văn Học"
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| 06/15/2026 |
Trần Hoài Thư and Thư Quán Bản Thảo, Thư Ấn Quán
VN: "Trần Hoài Thư với Thư Quán Bản Thảo và Thư Ấn Quán"
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Claude, Claude Code & Learning About AI
39 postsThis table is where I write about the very tool helping me write every other table here. As early as late February, a cluster of posts told the story of Claude Code's creation in the words of its two creators, Boris Cherny and Cat Wu — then March added the perspective of Jenny Wen, Claude's head of design, on how "the design process is dead"; plus a post explaining Thariq Shihipar's Claude Agent SDK workshop for non-technical readers. Andrej Karpathy showed up twice, exactly five weeks apart — late March and early May — with two different perspectives on AI's future. August packed in the heaviest posts: a portrait of Dario Amodei (Anthropic's CEO), Boris Cherny talking about running Claude Code with thousands of AI agents at once, an interview with Chip Huyen about her book "AI Engineering," and a cluster of posts on the hardware behind the AI wave — Nvidia's GeForce chip architecture, GPU programming with CUDA, and Nvidia's acquisition of Hugging Face in early September. My favorite post in this table has a slightly mocking title: "The Hottest Programming Language Right Now Is English" — exactly the spirit of a student learning to code the new way.
Miscellany & Other Matters
87 postsThis is the largest table — 87 posts, nearly a third of the total — and I let it stay the largest on purpose, because that's actually the true nature of a personal blog: not every post fits neatly into one topic, and being "off-topic" doesn't mean a post is lightweight. On March 23 itself, alongside the old-post restoration batch, an entire eight-part series called "Inside AI — The Untold Story" was born whole, explaining everything from "what is a token" to "how does AI generate a reply," written in parallel in both Vietnamese and English — a small AI primer for newcomers, sitting here only because it doesn't carry the right technical label for the AI/Technology table above. Early July brought a cluster of posts of an entirely different texture: childhood memories of pre-1975 Saigon through the "Sách Vàng" comic books — Franco-Belgian comics translated into Vietnamese — along with Thiếu Nhi magazine, Trưng Vương school, and a 1975 Lasan Taberd yearbook "missing its children." There's even a cluster of World Cup 2026 sports posts, about Messi and Roberto Baggio. And near the end of this post, a cluster about the effort to preserve South Vietnamese books and periodicals from 1954–1975 on microfilm, along with a post retelling the story of "The Making of Claude Code" itself — in more depth than the February series in the AI/Technology table. Twenty-four of these 87 posts don't even carry a single label — written purely because I felt like writing them.
Part III
A Few Numbers, and a Year of Writing With Claude
Laid out by month, the 283 posts show a fairly clear rhythm to the year. February (counting only from the 19th) had 21 posts — a slow start. March jumped to 54, most of it crammed into a single day: March 23, with 38 posts going up at once, right after the old-post restoration — that's when the ten-part "Leaqua: Foreign Songs, Vietnamese Soul" series was born almost entirely in one sitting. April was the most productive month, 66 posts, thanks largely to the album-by-album ABBA research series and the "Following the Idols of Italian Music" series, both kicking off around April 1–2. The pace then slowed sharply through May and June — just 17 and 20 posts — before picking back up in July (31 posts) and especially August (48 posts), when the Raymond Lefèvre series, the Phím Lõm guitar posts, and the Nvidia/CUDA technology cluster all appeared together. Altogether, 85 of the roughly 210 days in this stretch had at least one new post — meaning the blog "spoke up" on roughly one day out of every two and a half.
Looked at by topic share, music — combining all five tables on Phạm Duy, other Vietnamese composers, Leaqua, France–Italy, and Britain–America — accounts for 139 of the 283 posts, nearly half. Letters and the old press make up 18 posts, modest in count but the most time-consuming per post, since most required translation or original-source research. AI/technology accounts for 39 posts, more than a seventh of the total — more than I expected, since I always figured I was just writing "in passing" about the tool I happen to be using, and it turns out a year of "in passing" still adds up to nearly forty posts. The rest is 87 posts of miscellany and other matters, nearly a third of the total — a number that says a personal blog, however clearly it's organized by topic, always needs a place that doesn't have to fit any mold at all.
As for writing alongside AI, perhaps the most honest thing to say, after seven months, isn't about speed — even though speed genuinely did increase — but about daring to attempt posts I would previously have skipped for fear of the effort involved: a post that requires reading every character off a scan faded with age, a post that requires comparing hundreds of songs to find a vocabulary pattern, a post that requires translating an entire page of old French. There were also times that effort had to be redone. One concrete example, not hidden here: the cover of a certain printed edition of Phạm Duy's music gives a song's composition year as "Đà Lạt, Summer 1950" — but Phạm Duy himself, in his own memoirs, corrected that date, moving it to around 1970, twenty years after the year printed on the cover. When a Hoctroviet post mentions that song, I choose to trust the memoirs over the printed cover, and say plainly why — because between an author's own account and a line printed on a cover, the latter is far more likely to be wrong. In cases like this, the practice is always to correct it the moment it's discovered, to note clearly what was wrong, and never to quietly swap an old post for a new one — because Hoctroviet's purpose was never to appear right from the start, but to genuinely learn, including learning from the parts that were wrong.
Translating a single post into five or six languages — as mentioned in Part I — turned out, as it happens, to be a test of that very "check the source first, draw conclusions second" principle, only run in reverse: not verifying a fact, but verifying whether a Vietnamese sentence, once flipped through English and then Italian, still holds its original meaning. Often the answer was not quite — a Vietnamese wordplay with no equivalent path into French, a light note of irony in an Italian sentence that came out sounding grave once translated straight across. Places like that had to be rewritten rather than translated, which is also why, read closely, some of the multilingual posts aren't word-for-word translations of each other at all, but that many separate retellings of the same story.
Looking ahead, the two unfinished threads among the eight tables in Part II are, I think, where next year will spend the most pages: the Truyện Kiều homophone dictionary is only two parts in, with a broader Hán-Nôm project standing behind it. The Schoenberg-framed series on Phạm Duy's music also still has many songs waiting their turn — twelve chapters of theory have so far only been spent on a small fraction of his full body of songs. And if this year's pace, escalating from June into August, is any guide, this same list, written again next year, will very likely run even longer.
One last detail, very much in the spirit of "học trò," about how this very post came to exist: I didn't sit down and comb back through 283 posts by hand. Claude pulled the public post index straight from Blogger's own system, filtered it to this year and stripped out the March 22 republishing batch, then grouped each post into one of eight topics based on the labels I myself had attached when publishing — and stopped there, because the rest is the part I insisted on doing myself: rereading the list, deciding what was genuinely worth telling in my own words within each table, rather than a mechanically generated summary line. A table can be built automatically; but recognizing that "Io non sono lì" deserved to be told three times from three different angles, or that a 1975 Taberd yearbook "missing its children" deserved its own separate mention — that still has to be a person, not a machine.
If you've read this far, thank you for staying with a post longer than usual. The final section, right below, is the complete table of all 283 posts — with no topic divisions, just dates and titles, sorted from today back to the year's starting point.
Part IV
Full-Year Master Table
The table below contains all 283 posts from February 19 to today, September 16, 2026, sorted from most recent to oldest — with no topic distinctions, and not counting the March 22 old-post republishing batch. If you've already read through the eight topic tables in Part II, you'll recognize that every post above reappears here, just arranged along a single timeline instead.
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