Ocean Vuong

The smallest thing is the ruler of us all. But I like the title as a poet because there's always double meanings, right? So it feels very triumphant when you see it like in a bookstore. The Emperor of Gladness. I'm going to read it and feel all the good things. Yes. But as you see it in the first chapter, Gladness as a town doesn't exist. It's been renamed to Millsap.

And so to be the emperor of gladness is to be the emperor of nothing, of emptiness. And when the emperor hogs, naming is also a kind of warping of meaning. They're called emperor hogs not because they rule over anything, but because they historically have been used to feed the emperor. And it's such a cruel part of naming.

And so to be the emperor of gladness is to be the emperor of nothing, of emptiness. And when the emperor hogs, naming is also a kind of warping of meaning. They're called emperor hogs not because they rule over anything, but because they historically have been used to feed the emperor. And it's such a cruel part of naming.

And so to be the emperor of gladness is to be the emperor of nothing, of emptiness. And when the emperor hogs, naming is also a kind of warping of meaning. They're called emperor hogs not because they rule over anything, but because they historically have been used to feed the emperor. And it's such a cruel part of naming.

And so I hope that when readers get to that revelation, the title starts to change tone. And as a poet, I just love it when the same words change. start to get warped. I think ultimately that's what I'm interested in is warping what was once stable towards something much more malleable. It's not about making something concrete, but dissolving it towards the end of the book. That's my hope.

And so I hope that when readers get to that revelation, the title starts to change tone. And as a poet, I just love it when the same words change. start to get warped. I think ultimately that's what I'm interested in is warping what was once stable towards something much more malleable. It's not about making something concrete, but dissolving it towards the end of the book. That's my hope.

And so I hope that when readers get to that revelation, the title starts to change tone. And as a poet, I just love it when the same words change. start to get warped. I think ultimately that's what I'm interested in is warping what was once stable towards something much more malleable. It's not about making something concrete, but dissolving it towards the end of the book. That's my hope.

And emperor is a wonderful word that has multiple meanings in that sense.

And emperor is a wonderful word that has multiple meanings in that sense.

And emperor is a wonderful word that has multiple meanings in that sense.

Well, I think it's important to destigmatize sadness and depression. I think if anyone's paying attention in the 21st century, they should be sad. But it doesn't mean that they're condemned to sadness. And this is what your show did. When I was in the nail salon as an eight-year-old, what you see is a bunch of strangers come together. And you talked about sadness.

Well, I think it's important to destigmatize sadness and depression. I think if anyone's paying attention in the 21st century, they should be sad. But it doesn't mean that they're condemned to sadness. And this is what your show did. When I was in the nail salon as an eight-year-old, what you see is a bunch of strangers come together. And you talked about sadness.

Well, I think it's important to destigmatize sadness and depression. I think if anyone's paying attention in the 21st century, they should be sad. But it doesn't mean that they're condemned to sadness. And this is what your show did. When I was in the nail salon as an eight-year-old, what you see is a bunch of strangers come together. And you talked about sadness.

You talked about families falling apart. You talked about people surviving sexual assault on your show. And all of a sudden, these women, all of whom are strangers, now have permission to share their stories. And suddenly I saw... Language, you know, because that's what your show was. It's talking.

You talked about families falling apart. You talked about people surviving sexual assault on your show. And all of a sudden, these women, all of whom are strangers, now have permission to share their stories. And suddenly I saw... Language, you know, because that's what your show was. It's talking.

You talked about families falling apart. You talked about people surviving sexual assault on your show. And all of a sudden, these women, all of whom are strangers, now have permission to share their stories. And suddenly I saw... Language, you know, because that's what your show was. It's talking.

Language suddenly became this permission for everyone to bypass the small talk, bypass talking about the weather or where I'm from, the patriots.

Language suddenly became this permission for everyone to bypass the small talk, bypass talking about the weather or where I'm from, the patriots.

Language suddenly became this permission for everyone to bypass the small talk, bypass talking about the weather or where I'm from, the patriots.

And talk about our moments that keep us up at night and destigmatize vulnerability. And everyone in the nail salon just lit up and they were all in the same shared moment. And there was an incredible moment. Another moment for me, there's these two moments that stuck with me in the nail salon. where my mother was not working on this woman, but she was next to the same desk.