In September it was announced that Ocean Vuong had been awarded the MacArthur Foundation’s “Genius Award”. Queer Reader has never described an author as a “genius”, but in this case the word is entirely appropriate. Ocean Vuong is a brilliant writer. Ignore him at your peril.
Make no mistake about it: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is an important novel. It’s important because it tells an immigrant’s touching, intimate story–a story that resonates strongly in these troubled times. But it’s also important because it raises the standard for queer fiction. Because, as of this writing, the author of what is arguably The Great American Queer novel is a Vietnamese-American named Ocean Vuong.
Mr. Vuong’s style is at once realistic and lyrical. In his descriptions, Mr. Voung is the master of the telling detail. His dialogue is pitch perfect and sometimes surprisingly humorous. But beyond that, Mr. Vuong lets his prose soar. He is wise to not to let his words morph into poetry; instead, they hover right on the edge of it–creating a soulful, transcendental style that is all is his own.
Two life stories are told in this novel. One is a woman’s epic tale of survival of the Vietnam War and her immigration to the United States. And the other is the story of her queer grandson’s growing up in America. These two narratives pull the reader into surprising, unexpected places–while never for a moment deviating from the novel’s central theme. The narrator’s story begins with a familiarly sad queer childhood–bullying by classmates, gay bashing. What follows is the most poignant part of the novel: the narrator’s relationship with the local bad boy–a delinquent whose rebellion is as logical as it is tragic. And yet somehow the narrator perceives beauty. Indeed, it is his ability to see beauty seemingly everywhere that provides his redemption. This, combined with remarkable empathy, allows him not just to tell his grandmother’s story, but to internalize it–to make it his own. The result is a novel which intertwines these two life stories exquisitely.
If you need another reason to pay attention to Mr. Vuong, Queer Readers should know that his book of poetry, Night Sky with Exit wounds is in it’s eleventh printing. Apparently queer readers, myself included, are discovering this 2016 volume for the first time. It is sublime. Whether he is writing about the fall of Saigon or more erotic subjects, Mr. Vuong’s style is surprisingly lean and efficient–brilliant. This Queer Reader’s favorites were: Threshold, Aubade with Burning City, Torso of Air, Ode to Masturbation and the title poem. Although all of the poems in this book are excellent.
Ocean Vuong’s MacArthur grant is a no strings attached fellowship–meaning he can use it to write whatever he likes. Whatever he chooses, it’s bound to be remarkable.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is published by Penguin Group.
Night Sky with Exit Wounds is published by Copper Canyon Press.
11/24/19
UPDATE 4/30/2020: Today it was announced that On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous won The Publishing Triangle’s Ferro-Grumley Award for LGBTQ Fiction.