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cover of episode Best Of: Writer Ocean Vuong / Comic Atsuko Okatsuka

Best Of: Writer Ocean Vuong / Comic Atsuko Okatsuka

2025/6/14
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AI Deep Dive AI Chapters Transcript
People
A
Atsuko Akatsuka
M
Maureen Corrigan
O
Ocean Vuong
T
Tanya Mosley
Topics
Ocean Vuong: 我一直挑战美国人个性和自私的立足点，在我成长的贫困社区里，慷慨是第一位的。那种狗咬狗的世界是可耻的。我意识到有很多种成功，我对美国梦不感兴趣，我对有梦想的美国人感兴趣。因为我和我的继父有不同的梦想，但都是有效的。现在我身处精英圈子，在精英大学任教，是一位畅销书作家，但我小时候的母亲不识字，我11岁才学会阅读，我的母亲在美甲沙龙工作。在这些精英圈子里，他们可以阅读我的作品，但他们永远无法真正感受到和了解，而我一起长大的人，他们能感受到和了解。但我宁愿他们不关心，因为当我回家时，我只是他们中的一员。 Tanya Mosley: 我想了解Ocean Vuong的出身故事，他出生在越南，两岁时来到美国，住在康涅狄格州的一个小镇Glastonbury。这本书的故事发生在一个虚构的小镇East Gladness，我怀疑它与Glastonbury非常相似。让我感到惊讶的是，关于美国的描述和呈现大多是大城市和大城镇，但这种现实更为真实和普遍。 Maureen Corrigan: 我对Ocean Vuong 2019年的小说《On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous》印象深刻，并默默发誓无论他写什么，我都会追随他。我一直在关注Vuong的作品，包括他的诗集《Time is a Mother》和他的第二部小说《The Emperor of Gladness》，它们都探讨了他所说的“阶级流动的孤独”。

Deep Dive

Chapters
Maureen Corrigan reviews Ocean Vuong's new novel, focusing on its exploration of found family, both through personal connections and shared experiences at a fast-food restaurant. The review highlights the novel's realistic portrayal of working-class life and its understated emotional depth.
  • Review of Ocean Vuong's "The Emperor of Gladness"
  • Themes of found family and working-class life
  • Comparison to "It's a Wonderful Life"
  • Focus on the loneliness of class movement

Shownotes Transcript

Poet and novelist Ocean Vuong talks with Tonya Mosley about his new novel, The Emperor of Gladness. Set in a fictional small town in Connecticut, it follows a 19 year old grappling with addiction and despair, who forms an unexpected bond with an 82-year-old widow living with dementia. Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan has a review of the book. And, we hear from comedian Atsuko Okatsuka.* *She's known for finding humor in the dysfunction of her immigrant family, and the daily responsibilities of being an adult. Her new standup special is about her father, who reappeared in her life after decades away.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)