Ocean Vuong

They gave us free bread. And I just said, what is kindness that is exhibited knowing there's no payoff?

I don't know. I write, you know, David, I've been really interested in kindness as an intrinsic thing and goodness as an intrinsic thing. Like my brother just has it. He came with kindness. I never had it. I had a desire to understand goodness. But I never had it the way like my brother does. And I know because I raised him.

I don't know. I write, you know, David, I've been really interested in kindness as an intrinsic thing and goodness as an intrinsic thing. Like my brother just has it. He came with kindness. I never had it. I had a desire to understand goodness. But I never had it the way like my brother does. And I know because I raised him.

When my parents were at the factories in an ale salon, we're 10 years apart. So I was holding a little baby in my arms as a 10-year-old feeding him milk. So I'm like, I raised him. I didn't give him that. He had it. And I'm just interested in that because I don't, it's strange to me. I don't know it. You know, it doesn't come natural to me.

When my parents were at the factories in an ale salon, we're 10 years apart. So I was holding a little baby in my arms as a 10-year-old feeding him milk. So I'm like, I raised him. I didn't give him that. He had it. And I'm just interested in that because I don't, it's strange to me. I don't know it. You know, it doesn't come natural to me.

And I've been in dicey situations in my life where I realized that very early on, I just don't have it.

And I've been in dicey situations in my life where I realized that very early on, I just don't have it.

I don't know if it would be cruelty, but I think certain anger, certain rage, certain desires that I think would have never exhibited in someone like my brother. And there was a moment when I was 15 that I think I've been trying to articulate this for so long, and your question is now putting me down the slippery slope.

I don't know if it would be cruelty, but I think certain anger, certain rage, certain desires that I think would have never exhibited in someone like my brother. And there was a moment when I was 15 that I think I've been trying to articulate this for so long, and your question is now putting me down the slippery slope.

I've been trying to articulate it because I think it's important, but I've been really ashamed of it. Because people ask me, you know, why did you become a writer? And I give the answer that I think makes sense. I went to Pace. I tried business school because I wanted to help my mother. And I couldn't do it. And then I went to Brooklyn. And then I went to the English department.

I've been trying to articulate it because I think it's important, but I've been really ashamed of it. Because people ask me, you know, why did you become a writer? And I give the answer that I think makes sense. I went to Pace. I tried business school because I wanted to help my mother. And I couldn't do it. And then I went to Brooklyn. And then I went to the English department.

Then I became a writer. That's not untrue. I don't know if it's honest. And your question is now bringing me to this idea of cruelty and goodness. I would say that there was this one event when I was 15 that I do think altered the course of my life. Although at that time, it was not an epiphanic moment. I didn't say, oh.

Then I became a writer. That's not untrue. I don't know if it's honest. And your question is now bringing me to this idea of cruelty and goodness. I would say that there was this one event when I was 15 that I do think altered the course of my life. Although at that time, it was not an epiphanic moment. I didn't say, oh.

But I would say that the desire to be a writer probably started with the desire to commit myself to understanding suffering. What was the moment? I'm trying to be eloquent with this. I don't know if I will be. When I was 15, I'll say it first and I'll describe it, right? When I was 15, I decided to kill somebody. Oh, my God. I didn't do it. Oh, my God.

But I would say that the desire to be a writer probably started with the desire to commit myself to understanding suffering. What was the moment? I'm trying to be eloquent with this. I don't know if I will be. When I was 15, I'll say it first and I'll describe it, right? When I was 15, I decided to kill somebody. Oh, my God. I didn't do it. Oh, my God.

I was working on the tobacco farm every summer and I rode my bike every day. I didn't have a car. I didn't have a license. I was about five miles out. You wake up like at six in the morning. I rode my bike and I went to work mostly with migrant farmers. You get paid under the table. And if you show up every day, you get a $1,000 bonus at the end of the season. And it was this hot July evening.

I was working on the tobacco farm every summer and I rode my bike every day. I didn't have a car. I didn't have a license. I was about five miles out. You wake up like at six in the morning. I rode my bike and I went to work mostly with migrant farmers. You get paid under the table. And if you show up every day, you get a $1,000 bonus at the end of the season. And it was this hot July evening.

I was in my room and I look out the window and I see that someone has stolen my bike. And it was someone I knew in a neighborhood who was a drug dealer. And it was a time, it was like 2002, 2003. So everybody's outside. There's no indoor kids, at least not in my neighborhood. So you would put your bike outside in the stoop when you're running in and out.

I was in my room and I look out the window and I see that someone has stolen my bike. And it was someone I knew in a neighborhood who was a drug dealer. And it was a time, it was like 2002, 2003. So everybody's outside. There's no indoor kids, at least not in my neighborhood. So you would put your bike outside in the stoop when you're running in and out.

And this guy was known to just grab your bike, and he would never, like, give it back to you. It was just very, you know... And there's nothing you could do about it.