Nam Le

At THE risk of being accused of judging a book by its cover, I would like to begin this review of Nam Le's astounding collection, "The Boat," with a simple observation. The word "stories" does not appear on the cover. Pulling the book off the shelf, you could reasonably assume you were holding a novel in your hand. The omission reflects publishing's current wooziness toward short-story collections.

At THE risk of being accused of judging a book by its cover, I would like to begin this review of Nam Le's astounding collection, "The Boat," with a simple observation. The word "stories" does not appear on the cover. Pulling the book off the shelf, you could reasonably assume you were holding a novel in your hand. The omission reflects publishing's current wooziness toward short-story collections.

Nam LE's critically lauded first book, "The Boat," is a story collection in name only -- no overarching theme, location or character ties it together. The stories take up youth, atrocity, friendships, family. They take place in Iowa and Iran and Colombia. They feature as protagonists a New York painter, a teenage assassin and a writer named Nam Le. Le, 29, who was born in Vietnam and raised in Australia, wrote the stories over several years, including those spent at the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop, and is now a writer-in-residence at Philips Exeter Academy, at work on a novel about Thai pirates.

Nam LE's critically lauded first book, "The Boat," is a story collection in name only -- no overarching theme, location or character ties it together. The stories take up youth, atrocity, friendships, family. They take place in Iowa and Iran and Colombia. They feature as protagonists a New York painter, a teenage assassin and a writer named Nam Le. Le, 29, who was born in Vietnam and raised in Australia, wrote the stories over several years, including those spent at the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop, and is now a writer-in-residence at Philips Exeter Academy, at work on a novel about Thai pirates.

"Nice kids" turn down their radio when asked ("2 Charged in Youths' Beating May Avoid Prison," July 1). "Nice kids" do not severely injure one man's shoulder and another young man's penis because of their request. (Attorney) Mitchell Robinson, I can understand your defending one of the youths for the above violence, but don't call him a nice kid. By giving Nam Le Pham and Derek Stewart a light sentence, the court is mocking the uncalled-for violence and severe injuries of Brian Powers and the other unidentified young man. MARILYN BIGMAN Tarzana

In the late 1980s, when I was a graduate student working on short stories and flirting with the idea of a novel, I came across an essay that was being passed around my circle of friends. It was titled "Writing in the Cold: The First Ten Years," and the author was the legendary editor and founder of New American Review, Ted Solotaroff. Ten years! In the cold! Solotaroff wondered where all the talented young writers he had known or published when he was first editing New American Review had gone.

Los Angeles port police threw a Christmas party Thursday for a 13-year-old boy who is still recovering from injuries suffered in a shooting that killed his mother two years ago. Nam Le and his 3-year-old sister, Christine, received a heap of presents, a holiday meal and surprise visits from Jermaine Jackson, former professional wrestler Tiny "Zeus" Lister Jr. and Santa Claus at the gathering at the harbor administration building.

The Sheriff's Department is looking for a man who commandeered a Times newspaper deliveryman's pickup truck at gunpoint early Thursday morning, driving the victim to Rancho Santa Margarita before escaping, authorities said. The victim, Nam Le, was not harmed, sheriff's deputies and Times security personnel said. The incident began as Le was filling a news rack at Ruby's Restaurant on Vista del Lago at about 5 a.m., according to a report by Bud Collyer, a Times security officer.

Many people have called to offer help for a family whose home was destroyed this week by a fire sparked by a propane stove explosion. But there is a problem: No one speaks English at the phone number the good Samaritans have been calling. The number, provided by social workers, belongs to a distant cousin of Nam Le, whose daughter was fatally injured in the fire Tuesday. Le's husband and son remain in critical condition at UCI Medical Center in Orange.

An 18-year-old youth died Thursday of extensive burns suffered in a propane stove explosion and house fire last week that killed his sister and left his father struggling for life. Loc Tan Mai died early Thursday in the burn unit of UCI Medical Center in Orange, where he had been undergoing treatment since the explosion Jan. 28 in the rented rooms of a house at 1309 N. McLean Drive. His father, Dong Viet Mai, remained in extremely critical condition Thursday in the burn unit, according to Dr.

The explosion of a propane stove sparked a fire that raced through a home and critically burned three family members over most of their bodies Tuesday, authorities said. The 4:08 p.m. explosion occurred after one occupant tried to repair the malfunctioning propane stove at 1309 N. McLean Drive, fire officials said. Kim Mai, 22, suffered burns over her entire body. Her brother, Tan, 18, was burned over 70% of his body, and their father, Viet Mai, 57, was burned over 50%, officials said.

Two San Diego college students involved in a savage attack on two San Fernando Valley teen-agers last October were sentenced Friday to a year in jail, following an emotional plea from the victims' families for the maximum punishment and a remorseful request from the students for leniency. San Diego County Superior Court Judge Runston G.