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cover of episode ‘The Interview’: Ocean Vuong was Ready to Kill. Then a Moment of Grace Changed His Life.

‘The Interview’: Ocean Vuong was Ready to Kill. Then a Moment of Grace Changed His Life.

2025/7/2
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Modern Love
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D
David Marchese
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Ocean Vuong
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Ocean Vuong: 在波士顿市场和帕内拉面包店工作期间，我深刻体会到美国社会底层人民的挣扎。为了维持生计，我们不得不接受低薪工作，甚至要隐瞒收入以保住廉租房的资格。快餐店的工作环境充满了欺骗，食物都是冷冻后微波加热的，但人与人之间依然存在着亲密关系和互相扶持。然而，每个人都心知肚明，这不是出路，这种普遍的挫败感令人沮丧。我永远不会忘记在冷冻室里，鲁本向我倾诉了他对儿子的复杂情感，这让我开始思考人性的本质和善良的意义。我意识到，即使在最艰难的环境下，人们依然会展现出善良和互助，这种没有希望的善良让我深受感动。 David Marchese: 我在餐饮公司当服务员的经历与Ocean Vuong的描述非常相似。不同的人被临时组合在一起，为了共同的目标而努力。虽然彼此之间会有摩擦和不满，但最终大家都能完成工作。通过观察人们对待下属的方式，我深刻体会到人性的复杂。这种经历让我更加关注人与人之间的关系，以及在底层社会中人性的挣扎和闪光。

Deep Dive

Chapters
Ocean Vuong's journey from a refugee child in Hartford, Connecticut, to a celebrated author and professor is explored. The chapter highlights his early experiences working in fast food restaurants, revealing insights into the lives of working-class Americans and the unexpected intimacies found in shared struggles. His inherent kindness and the contrast with his own struggles are also discussed.
  • Ocean Vuong's immigration story and his early life in Hartford, Connecticut
  • His experiences working at fast food restaurants and on a tobacco farm
  • The contrast between the American Dream and the reality of working-class life
  • The unexpected intimacies found in shared struggles
  • The discussion of kindness and its absence in certain situations

Shownotes Transcript

This week on Modern Love, we’re bringing you a conversation we liked so much that we’re envious we didn’t get to have ourselves. In a raw but deeply heartfelt and compassionate conversation with “The Interview" host David Marchese, author and poet Ocean Vuong talks about the real reason he became a writer.

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