Ocean Vuong doesn’t erase pain from beauty

The more Ocean Vuong writes, the more he sees his craft as less of a skill and more a condition. He feels compelled to pay attention to the small details around him and turn those details into a story. But he tells Rachel that he actually hopes a day comes when he can stop writing. Vuong’s latest book is “The Emperor of Gladness.”


To listen sponsor-free and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy