The barking of a nearby dog forced Hoa Nguyen to pause mid-stanza. It was as if the canine was attempting to collaborate with her poem, a fitting start to the Year of the Dog. This young year saw the acclaimed Vietnamese-American writer return to Vietnam for the first time in nearly half a century. Surrounded by local writers and fans, she was able to celebrate her homecoming with a candlelit reading on a balcony overlooking Hanoi’s West Lake.