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Ocean Vuong

Mentioned 10 times across 1 podcast this week

This Week's Pulse

Ocean Vuong recently appeared in conversation with Rebecca Solnit at the Santa Fe International Literary Festival ahead of an upcoming UK paperback tour for his novel The Emperor of Gladness.

Across the We Can Do Hard Things podcast, hosts are re-examining the way Ocean Vuong processes his personal history. As one host noted, "Ocean, the way that you do write about and around and... your mother, um, is so beautiful and so honest." Vuong himself attributes this intensity to the power dynamics of his upbringing, explaining, "I saw that the violence in my mother was an expression of her powerlessness."

While the literary world focuses on his craft, Vuong remains blunt about the limitations of fame in addressing systemic issues. He argues that visibility is not a panacea, stating, "Because America, it doesn't... You know, seeing an Ocean Vuong, it turns out, doesn't solve our anti-Asian racism." This candid perspective frames his upcoming tour as more than a standard book promotion, positioning his work as a direct confrontation with the political realities he inhabits.

Where it's discussed

(BEST OF) Mothers & Sons with Ocean Vuong and Chase Melton

We Can Do Hard Things

Ocean Vuongneutralfrom “Ocean Vuong on Trauma, Survival, and Poetry”

The guest discussing his personal history, his mother's trauma, and his literary practice.

“Right? And I can't speak for others, but for me, I saw that the violence in my mother was an expression of her powerlessness.”

Speaker 4neutralfrom “Ocean Vuong on Motherhood and Intergenerational Trauma”

The author and guest discussing his work and the complexities of his relationship with his mother.

“Ocean, the way that you do write about and around and... your mother, um, is so beautiful and so honest, and there was so much love and beauty and power, and there was also some abuse. You say of the women in your family, "The poison of war entered them. They …”

Ocean Vuongneutralfrom “Ocean Vuong on Identity, Resilience, and Art”

The author discusses his experience with anti-Asian racism and how he uses his art to insist on being known.

“Because America, it doesn't... You know, seeing an Ocean Vuong, it turns out, doesn't solve our anti-Asian racism.”

Glennon Doylepositivefrom “Ocean Vuong on Motherhood and Masculinity”

The guest of the podcast, a poet and novelist who discusses his work and perspectives on masculinity.

“Mm-hmm. So Ocean Vuong is the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection, Night Sky with Exit Wounds, and The New York Times bestselling novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. A recipient of the 2019 MacArthur Genius Grant, he is also the winner of …”

Glennon Doylepositivefrom “Ocean Vuong on Motherhood, Language, and Literature”

The author discussing his creative process, the influence of his heritage on his work, and the themes of his books.

“... him reading over and over again, um, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, and your first, uh, book of poetry, Exit Sky, what-”

Ocean Vuongneutralfrom “Ocean Vuong on Death, Art, and Asian American Identity”

The author reflecting on his mother's death and his experiences as an Asian American poet.

“I think death was such an in- incredible thing to witness because it was the closest thing I saw to truth. Mm. It's not even honest, because honesty is a vehicle for truth, but death is truth without a medium. Mm. It's truth as is. You don't get a say. You don…”

Ocean Vuongneutralfrom “Ocean Vuong on Masculinity, Art, and the American Experience”

The guest speaker discussing his personal experience with gender and his perspective as an American writer.

“I never felt like a male. You know? I think it was what I was put in, and it's where I learned to embody myself and where I want to kind of open and widen.”

Speaker 3neutralfrom “Ocean Vuong on Motherhood, Art, and the Legacy of War”

The author discusses his artistic process and his relationship with his mother.

“Ocean, one of the, the reasons I just have been so looking forward to this hour is because your work is so beautifully wrapped around motherhood and sonhood. So much of your art is an exploration of your mother. She passed away. Can you tell us about your moth…”

Ocean Vuongneutralfrom “Asian American Identity and Visibility”

Discusses the struggle of Asian American artists to be recognized outside of tragic events.

“So I think that moment years ago, it's beginning of my career, I start seeing that moment again and again in different forms. It suddenly became an allegory for how so many Asian American artists live. It's like, it's always bittersweet. You're, you're celebra…”

Ocean Vuongneutralfrom “The Evolution of Asian American Artistry”

Discusses the struggle of being an Asian American artist and the importance of creating one's own narrative.

“And I said, I told her, I said, "Let me- give me a chance. You know? Give me a chance to... Two years, it's all I'll do. I'm gonna treat this as a job. I'm gonna go to the library and just write and read, and if I can get a lifeline within two years, I'll keep…”