Ocean Vuong

This book is all about labor, and we're justified in that. To me, nothing's ever too sacred to say that even at its worst, I get to work. And not only get to work, I get to work on my own terms.

This book is all about labor, and we're justified in that. To me, nothing's ever too sacred to say that even at its worst, I get to work. And not only get to work, I get to work on my own terms.

This book is all about labor, and we're justified in that. To me, nothing's ever too sacred to say that even at its worst, I get to work. And not only get to work, I get to work on my own terms.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, why? It's eight after the Eightfold Path in Buddhism, which is the path the Buddha laid out for liberation from suffering in this realm. So it's a number that is auspicious to me. When I was a very young writer in my, I think, 21, 22, I came home one day, and I was listening to an NPR piece come home from school, and it was my hero on NPR. It was Annie Dillard.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, why? It's eight after the Eightfold Path in Buddhism, which is the path the Buddha laid out for liberation from suffering in this realm. So it's a number that is auspicious to me. When I was a very young writer in my, I think, 21, 22, I came home one day, and I was listening to an NPR piece come home from school, and it was my hero on NPR. It was Annie Dillard.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, why? It's eight after the Eightfold Path in Buddhism, which is the path the Buddha laid out for liberation from suffering in this realm. So it's a number that is auspicious to me. When I was a very young writer in my, I think, 21, 22, I came home one day, and I was listening to an NPR piece come home from school, and it was my hero on NPR. It was Annie Dillard.

And immediately I said, uh-oh, she's got a new book out. Let's go. Let's go. You know? Take my money. And my ears perked up. And it was, I think, one of the most memorable early radio moments because immediately she says, I'm here to tell you that I'm retiring. And the interviewer was kind of taken aback.

And immediately I said, uh-oh, she's got a new book out. Let's go. Let's go. You know? Take my money. And my ears perked up. And it was, I think, one of the most memorable early radio moments because immediately she says, I'm here to tell you that I'm retiring. And the interviewer was kind of taken aback.

And immediately I said, uh-oh, she's got a new book out. Let's go. Let's go. You know? Take my money. And my ears perked up. And it was, I think, one of the most memorable early radio moments because immediately she says, I'm here to tell you that I'm retiring. And the interviewer was kind of taken aback.

And in a very delicate way, the interviewer was basically saying, well, what's wrong with you? Are you losing your mind? Are you ill? And Dillard said, no. I woke up one morning, went to my desk and realized I've done everything I set out to do as a writer. And the writer label does not define me. And I have more life to live, but I am done because I did my work on my terms.

And in a very delicate way, the interviewer was basically saying, well, what's wrong with you? Are you losing your mind? Are you ill? And Dillard said, no. I woke up one morning, went to my desk and realized I've done everything I set out to do as a writer. And the writer label does not define me. And I have more life to live, but I am done because I did my work on my terms.

And in a very delicate way, the interviewer was basically saying, well, what's wrong with you? Are you losing your mind? Are you ill? And Dillard said, no. I woke up one morning, went to my desk and realized I've done everything I set out to do as a writer. And the writer label does not define me. And I have more life to live, but I am done because I did my work on my terms.

And I tell you, like anybody else, I was told the writer's worth is their corpus, is what they can keep achieving and filling the world with endlessly. And I was so amazed by that. I thought, gosh, that's what I want. I want that feeling, to be able to write with such care and such sincerity. Because Dillard is a sincere writer, right?

And I tell you, like anybody else, I was told the writer's worth is their corpus, is what they can keep achieving and filling the world with endlessly. And I was so amazed by that. I thought, gosh, that's what I want. I want that feeling, to be able to write with such care and such sincerity. Because Dillard is a sincere writer, right?

And I tell you, like anybody else, I was told the writer's worth is their corpus, is what they can keep achieving and filling the world with endlessly. And I was so amazed by that. I thought, gosh, that's what I want. I want that feeling, to be able to write with such care and such sincerity. Because Dillard is a sincere writer, right?

She's, when you read her work, you know you are looking over her shoulder as she digs for something she doesn't understand. And I said, I want to be able to wake up one day and look at what I've done and know that I've done it with such care that I can stop well. To hear someone, my hero, say, I'm trying to end well, and I did.

She's, when you read her work, you know you are looking over her shoulder as she digs for something she doesn't understand. And I said, I want to be able to wake up one day and look at what I've done and know that I've done it with such care that I can stop well. To hear someone, my hero, say, I'm trying to end well, and I did.

She's, when you read her work, you know you are looking over her shoulder as she digs for something she doesn't understand. And I said, I want to be able to wake up one day and look at what I've done and know that I've done it with such care that I can stop well. To hear someone, my hero, say, I'm trying to end well, and I did.

Well, one of my favorite poets is Reginald Shepard. He passed away in 2008. He's a brilliant poet. He wrote this beautiful book on black poetics called Orpheus in the Bronx. If there's one book you read this year, please read Reginald Shepard's Orpheus in the Bronx.

Well, one of my favorite poets is Reginald Shepard. He passed away in 2008. He's a brilliant poet. He wrote this beautiful book on black poetics called Orpheus in the Bronx. If there's one book you read this year, please read Reginald Shepard's Orpheus in the Bronx.