Ocean Vuong on War, Sexuality and Asian-American Identity

Ocean Vuong on War, Sexuality and Asian-American Identity | Amanpour and Company

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4 жыл бұрын

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Amanpour and Company features wide-ranging, in-depth conversations with global thought leaders and cultural influencers on the issues and trends impacting the world each day, from politics, business and technology to arts, science and sports. Christiane Amanpour leads the conversation on global and domestic news from London with contributions by prominent journalists Walter Isaacson, Michel Martin, Alicia Menendez and Hari Sreenivasan from the Tisch WNET Studios at Lincoln Center in New York City.
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Пікірлер: 149

@swaranjalijadhav1323 2 жыл бұрын

I'm in tears, literally sobbing. Ocean has such a beautiful beautiful way with words, I have cried a lot with his words they mean so much to me.

@macphallic 4 жыл бұрын

He’s BEAUTIFUL! Heartbreakingly Gorgeous. It’s as though he has managed to crack the hard shell of totemic trauma and grief, soul warping shame and illiteracy to wield a yolk of deep love and authentic beauty! His novel reads like a prayer animating the spirit through the dark and the lonely.

@kesart8378 3 жыл бұрын

Your response, Mac Morris, soars, lifting the reader's soul through your wonderfully eloquent appreciation of Ocean Vuong and his work.

@fatoubah7472 3 жыл бұрын

I felt that. do you tweet? do you write? you are so articulate, Mac and I will like to follow your thoughts and ideas? I miss being around men of colour who are able to create a world they want.

@macphallic 3 жыл бұрын

@@fatoubah7472 That's incredibly kind of you to mention. I don't have any social media, nor have i posted anything aside from the few comments posted throughout the youtube universe. I do have a degree in creative writing and an abiding respect for the well written word, and yet i have been caught in a decade long hesitation and insecurity to bring my written thoughts to the page long form. But I will say, Ocean and a few other writers who get the magic right help in the spell breaking.

@fatoubah7472 3 жыл бұрын

@@macphallic I do not know why but I will like to read whatever you write, you create so easily and you do it with grace and humility. Don't fear success or opinions, start somewhere, write something, just start, but share it somewhere, a blog or something, someone like me will read it and love it. if you want to voluntarily share your writings at anypoint here is my email: fsalmanabah@gmail.com - Write. Write Now. Share it. Don't be afraid, you have all it takes, and people far less qualified are already doing it. Start small, start today, create a routine and stick to it, innovate in the process. I am sending you the courage to write and create a world of your own. do it today! please !

@brashcracker8511 3 жыл бұрын

Oh brother

@tes_situra 4 жыл бұрын

To me, great storytellers have this compelling aura about them, even when they're talking in person and not through carefully thought out words on paper. They have such a magical way with words that just pulls you in and makes you want to listen, really listen

@icantollie 4 жыл бұрын

12:43: “I think writing helped me understand that although you can technically be a victim-you can be a victim of war; you can be a victim of domestic violence, child abuse-but whether you live in victim_hood_ or not is up to you. We can’t change what happens to us; (but) we can change how we live in order to have a successful life.” Ocean Vuong is so articulate; most people speak in sentences; the best, like President Obama, speak in paragraphs; but Ocean somehow speaks in expository essay form

@PaarthGuptaYT 7 ай бұрын

This is so true.

@garuu3369 3 жыл бұрын

He constantly sounds like he wants to cry. I just wanna hug him

@herientijuana 11 ай бұрын

"You sure you're not angry? I'm angry, of course, but I don't write with rage." 11:20

@trucannguyenhuynh517 4 жыл бұрын

I cried several times watching this interview... wow

@cameronforsure 3 жыл бұрын

me too.

@zheli655 3 жыл бұрын

🇻🇳🐂🍺

@thisbewinton 3 жыл бұрын

same i cant stop

@armaanthomas4387 2 жыл бұрын

corny

@mountainlinx 4 жыл бұрын

Rarely has someone moved me to unknown tears before like this young man

@AmanpourandCompany 4 жыл бұрын

Us too, David!

@TheOfficeIsBananas 3 жыл бұрын

I saw him live at a book festival last year and it was one of the few moments of my life to see a room so captivated and waiting on the edge of their seats for the next words from his mouth

@TheOfficeIsBananas 3 жыл бұрын

“Who is this man talking about dreams in a snowstorm” 😭😭😭

@sylviadelvallegarcia5231 4 жыл бұрын

Just finished Ocean's gorgeous book. I could listen to Ocean speak all day long. Such Presence and Beauty.

@mv8858 3 жыл бұрын

Wow, every interview of his so far has left me with a lot to process. I never thought deeply about differences in the 'immigrant experience' between a first generation Japanese-American and a Vietnamese-American. This is why Asian-Americans shouldn't be lumped together in a nutshell, people have different stories to tell that are unique to their country and culture

@mykameakulpa 3 жыл бұрын

“your goal is to be invisible”, universal advice from mothers of Black and Brown kids. my mother hated even the loud jingle of her jewelry.

@k.herzog814 Жыл бұрын

I related to this too.

@AnNguyen-lw5xz 2 жыл бұрын

I’m only half way through the interview and not sure my heart can take this anymore. His storytelling power has had me overwhelmed with vigorous emotions. As a Vietnamese as old as Ocean, living within this wild world, I understand what it’s like to go out to just disappear. That doesn’t mean we’re not resilient nor brave. That is just something instilled in our mindset by the elders. And I think fewer can find words that are true and potent to describe how small, colorless and powerless a person can feel, more than Ocean.

@pammorton7448 3 жыл бұрын

wow. How wonderful to hear a voice like his. He is truly beautiful!

@tranosaur 4 жыл бұрын

He's such a calm and eloquent speaker.

@akellettsocal 3 жыл бұрын

At ~6:30 he describes listening to a recording of MLK's "I have a dream" speech. The white noise in the recording's background becomes snow, and the setting of the speech is now strange and wonderful and it is his. This is why I like Ocean Vuong.

@hopenguyen2687 3 жыл бұрын

WOW !!! He is right. Use words that help, don't use words that hurt. Yes, we can not change the past, but, we can change the future. We can not change the elderly, but, we can build a better young generation. He is the next younger generation to make the better America.

@abhijitsarmahwritespoetry 4 жыл бұрын

I wish I had a friend like Ocean.

@boatman222345 3 жыл бұрын

It's hard to know precisely what to say about this incredibly wise young person. Let's just leave it that every once in awhile along comes a human "being" who is truly living up to the true meaning of that term. "Being" human is at best a very trying and difficult task and many are there of examples of people failing at it. It is more than heartwarming and uplifting to watch and listen to this young author who has so deftly managed the difficulties he has endured and turned that experience into something incredibly beautiful and inspiring. By the end of this interview I felt a very strong sense of thankfulness and hope. What wonderful things people are capable of if they can rise above the cruelness and stupidity of a dysfunctional human society!

@giangs6124 Жыл бұрын

WOW! This is such an inspiring and touching conversation between the host and Ocean Vuong! I was listening to you two swallowing each words in such admiration and compassion! Feel so proud of you my fellow Vietnamese American, Ocean Vuong! On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous!

@knitterscheidt 4 жыл бұрын

his soft, warm voice, beauty and genius enthrall and sooth me simultaneously, I find myself lost in his dialogue, startled by his thoughts and completely delighted

@houseofmarshall 3 жыл бұрын

I could listen to this beautiful human talk all day long. This person is a gift.

@NC-qc7wd 2 жыл бұрын

It's so different when he reads it than when I read it! I'm just in love with this poet! Even when he talks, he sounds like poetry! He is amazing!

@henrysmommy7 3 жыл бұрын

This made me cry, just the amazing thoughtfulness and beautiful way that he speaks.

@charlesdenman9052 4 жыл бұрын

I just bought two books for my two young Vietnamese step children, now grown-up adults. I hope the book finds traction and meaning to them. It is a heartfelt and courageous work.

@shellygenevievee 3 жыл бұрын

This interview is so indescribably beautiful. I just heard Ocean on a piece put out by my local public radio station and was absolutely captivated by his thoughts and the way he presents them.

@LukeHaylerPlus 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this interview. This person is beautiful.

@youknowwho02 3 жыл бұрын

Just finished his novel, which has been translated to my language and released recently in Taiwan. It's beautiful and powerful. I had the pleasure to re-read the paragraph where he read here. Thank you Ocean Vuong and your books have certainly found readers overseas!

@ktbecker89 4 жыл бұрын

His mind, his art is so incredible. I just want to hug him, his writing hits me right in the gut. I just started reading On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous and it immediately had my heart in its grip. As a Mother of a little boy, I am taken by his point of view. Not only of his own pain, but also his Mothers. His writing is so heartbreaking and profound. ❤

@MrChristerj 4 жыл бұрын

What an exceptionally bright man.

@35mmonica Жыл бұрын

“this life gave me my imagination.” and these lives unheard deserved to be imagined and lived by others. ocean vuong’s mind and heart shine so brilliantly. i’m in awe

@sufipunkproducciones5173 3 жыл бұрын

I adore this person. What a beautiful heart 💜

@vbowling593 3 жыл бұрын

What an important young voice. A gift!

@Davao420 3 жыл бұрын

All hail the KZfaq algorithm. I'm so glad it lead me to this video. very moving

@likearock2428 3 жыл бұрын

So powerful, so much love, compassion , and the flow of his voice like a poem . In this story everyone can see themselves in it. Wow.

@VietNguyen-yt6sc 4 жыл бұрын

Beautiful. He's eloquent and brings a new perspective.

@jdryak 3 жыл бұрын

Spectacularly beautiful! Thanks to Amanpour et al for airing this segment, otherwise I should have never been aware of his work!

@jungchoo1202 4 жыл бұрын

Just finished reading his book. What a wonderful read and amazingly honest interview!

@yonathanasefaw9001 3 жыл бұрын

Such a deep conversation, though when he spoke at some point I thought he was about to cry. :(

@cnl8012 3 жыл бұрын

Wow. I just discovered him. His ability to see connections as he does is just so profound.

@argha59 Жыл бұрын

I love Vuong's voice. Such clarity and depth. However, I do think that anger can be used constructively. It need not be detrimental to creating art.

@trashboat422 3 жыл бұрын

why this man on the verge of tears every time he speaks

@angiemara1315 3 жыл бұрын

Hi I’m a big fan trash boat

@MayiHeart 2 жыл бұрын

i cry every time, he speaks to my soul

@honeykai8274 3 жыл бұрын

Wow this was so beautiful, I cried three times watching this interview.

@saundraleonard4487 3 жыл бұрын

OCEAN Vuong I know I always say this in my comments but this was one of the best interviews that I have heard Michelle just pulled all the thinking out of him/ocean is so prolific with words it is 5 o'clock in the morning in Guadalajara Mexico where I am living and I just could not turn away from this interview it was wonderful and when he mentioned James Baldwin I like well over great great interview

@bethabrand Жыл бұрын

He is a beautiful writer but she elicited some very profound comments. Two brilliant minds

@xdaiart Жыл бұрын

Heartbreakingly beautiful, I just finished his novel.

@nikokisting6189 4 жыл бұрын

This interview really touched me!

@Mmmkay10 3 жыл бұрын

Such incredible insight and amazing perspective. What a tremendously wise human being.

@Michael-xi9nb 3 жыл бұрын

Love his dramatic reading voice.

@ricklarson392 3 жыл бұрын

A brilliant interview with a shining light in the literary world. Thank you

@thisbewinton 3 жыл бұрын

im so obsessed with him and his words

@mochirepublic9501 3 жыл бұрын

The wounds are understood and sometimes language can't even hash them all out. Dead.

@gabrielborjas7923 3 жыл бұрын

such a wonderful and eloquent interview

@5kids1goldfish 3 жыл бұрын

Beautiful! Thank you so much for this presentation! They are a miracle!

@dmarieayala5324 3 жыл бұрын

Sir, thank you for sharing your ptsd, you are beautiful person. I understand exactly in America; a young mind can get horrid life's views, the scars never leave. My learning hard started at 4 yrs til 20 They can and will make you wise and stronger for some. To be sucessful is another level of being a chameleon in this world. Peace to you all. Adonai Ori is my counselor He has blessed me.

@MrPft25 3 жыл бұрын

I cannot stop crying.

@sue-anevandenakker6022 3 жыл бұрын

What an amazing wise author describing how we feel☺️

@miles6766 3 жыл бұрын

just started reading his book. what a talent and what a beautiful mind

@gumdakji7207 3 жыл бұрын

The audible version is awesome too

@moonbean9018 2 жыл бұрын

Oh my god I didn't know that when I clicked on this video I would be wrecked, goddangit!! As a third generation child with grandparents who had to indure the war in the Philippines, I felt seen!

@richardengelhardt582 2 жыл бұрын

An inspiringly articulate introspective interview

@bobo6202 3 жыл бұрын

Amazing artist and an interesting interview.

@lilychang7037 3 жыл бұрын

Beautiful book ! Thank you

@roseharmon773 3 жыл бұрын

Such a good speaker!!! I love his poetry, and Amazon just delivered OEWBG.

@obiekat53 4 жыл бұрын

He is as eloquent as he is beautiful

@kayhaas1407 3 жыл бұрын

Very interesting. My thinking about this is really if more people would just sit down and have conversations with each other and learn from each other what a wonderful world this could be. Not so quick to judge and have tolerance toward each other and just accept them as they are we would have more of a chance to have peace.

@valerienguyen8687 4 жыл бұрын

Ocean Vuong is my idol

@CruellaDevil2303 3 жыл бұрын

beautiful, just beautiful person and their works r emotionally delightful

@AD-hs2bq 2 жыл бұрын

Ocean is a great thinker.

@sublow 2 жыл бұрын

amazing amazing work

@MsLotusBlooms 3 жыл бұрын

He is so deep!

@artherladett442 2 жыл бұрын

Great!

@dcoder6404 Жыл бұрын

“The wounds are understood.” Indeed.

@35mmonica Жыл бұрын

“one of the best and most perennially powerful ways to be known is to be an artist”

@user-yk9sk7pg6v 3 жыл бұрын

Breathtakingly beautiful.

@minhle77b 2 жыл бұрын

I love himmmm 🥰🥰🥰

@TTranDC 3 жыл бұрын

My hero 🙏

@daniellan8216 4 жыл бұрын

8:00 wowwww

@MsCafecito 2 жыл бұрын

When an educated group of literary friends are chatting and asking opinions, and someone casually asks, “who is your favorite poet?” I now know to say “Ocean Vuong”.

@jasonle6910 2 жыл бұрын

It's so easy for a small yellow child to vanish that the hard work the real work of innovation is to be known. And one of the best and the most perennially powerful ways to be known is to an artist.

@dannyni4671 3 жыл бұрын

Just found Ocean thru Ethan Baker and I'm grateful. :)

@avasvara7545 4 жыл бұрын

Yessss

@jadagumpert3932 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you hotline lady, this is beautiful:))

@umeali4548 4 жыл бұрын

I didn't care for the interviewer's tone at all. She comes across as accusatory and cold. I didn't appreciate her insistence that Ocean (or any other artist creating out of difficulty) must be angry. There's a difference between being angry and being passionate, or observant, or merely wanting to present hard truths. Do we ask satirists if they're angry? Or comedians? Why is she being so prescriptive?

@alexquyenvo5196 4 жыл бұрын

Glad that you feel the same way, too. I thought I was being sensitive...

@bd-pl7oo 4 жыл бұрын

@Ume AliAt first I thought the same thing - only that she was pushing too hard (her manner was kind yet straightforward and direct) - then I stepped back and thought about it for a bit and realized that, part of a journalist's work/charge *is* to facilitate revelation, and her very intimate relationship with anger was spot on. She recognized the impact of violence and hate and has likely had her share of experience navigating anger, and understood the *value* of what Ocean Vuong might be able to impart to viewers who could be having similar experiences as he had, but not knowing how to process. His *response* to her was *golden* and if she hadn't coaxed the question, we may not have heard him say: "I'm angry. But I don't write with rage. I can't. I think rage and anger are energies; they're raw energies, ready to be recycled and re-used. But if we use them...[A]nger is a force that distinguishes the wielder as well as the world. I'm more interested in using the energy of compassion and understanding. I'm at my best when I say this: 'I'm angry about this, but I need to know why you're doing this to me.' That is such *medicine* for the evolution of humanity. He offered an instructive balm to so many of us who might not know where or how to use [our] anger as an opportunity to *heal*. I also trust that if he had not wanted to give a response and being in complete command of his ability to respond, he would have declined the question. I appreciate your comment @Ume Ali - it gifted me the opportunity to contemplate.

@Davao420 3 жыл бұрын

I thought she was just okay. But she didn't have to ask him twice if he were angry. He answered it the first time, yes he feels anger, but he feels he's more useful when he moves past that. This was an honest conversation between two people that we're just here to listen to, so one has to understand her perspective as well.

@kesart8378 3 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately, to me, it seems--based on viewing dozens of interviews conducted by Michelle Martin--that that is a given. Consistently, no matter the interviewee or subject, Ms. Martin falls into the hard-hitting, inquisitorial investigative reporter mode. She does appear to have trouble shifting in tone. And this can, for me, lead to the thought that I have witnessed a quasi-interrogation.

@MsLotusBlooms 3 жыл бұрын

I thought she was very into what he was saying and his story. She respects him.