An Tran is a writer of fiction and essays, and the author of the short story collection Meditations on the Mother Tongue. His short fiction has appeared in Southern Humanities Review, Gargoyle Magazine, New South, and elsewhere. His non-fiction and essays have appeared in The Carolina Quarterly, TheLitHub, Tricycle: A Buddhist Review, Lion’s Roar, and elsewhere. He has received ‘Notable Work’ distinctions from the Best American series and nomination for the Pushcart Prize.
His recent writing has focused on sharing the popular history, culture, tradition, and doctrines of Vietnamese Buddhism. Additionally, he currently serves as president to the Board of Directors for the Vietnamese American Culture Center — North Bay (VACCNB), advocating for the promotion, preservation, and education of Vietnamese American cultural heritage and tradition.
He is a Thiền (Zen) practitioner in the Liễu Quán lineage of the Lâm Tế (Linji) school of Vietnamese Buddhism, and received the dharma name Nguyên Ngộ (‘Primordial Awakening’).
Originally from Alexandria, Virginia, he currently lives in San Francisco.
