He might be my new favorite author. Listening to him speak is just as enriching as reading his work. What a great mind.

I just love how his voice trembling, but in a gentle way.

13:27 ‘Refugee[s] who must leave their homes in order to enter a new country, ... must decide one of the most ... vital decisions [that] our entire species ha[s] always demanded of its refugees - which story will you bring with you and which stories will you leave behind - because the body is a limited library [and] the memory can only hold so much.’

Vietnamese language word “ma” has 5 accents that all Vietnamese children have to carefully reading and listening. “ma” (ghost) - “má” (mom) - “mà” [a conjunction between two sentences (that)] - “mả” (tomb) - “mã” (horse) - mạ (rice seeds).

Ocean is one of the most beautiful people on this planet!

He is really gorgeous while on this earth. So clear, so profound and so humble. A true finesse in his soul. Precious 💗

Toby and Marcel did a wonderful job. This was an excellent presentation. In Ocean Vuong humanity is awakening to a higher consciousness. He makes love to his listeners/readers with the poetry of his body, mind, and soul. He is a treasure.

I cannot stop healing through Ocean’s werk. My goodness, I will LIVE!

"Like a beginner!" Live with the wonder! Live with an awe!" What a humble and emphatic young person. Touching how he reflects on family and immigrant life. Strongest moment for me during this conversation: How he points out that the three act story telling is a very phallic story telling. All about the climax.

The way the two hosts are mesmerised by Ocean Vuong! They sort of become speechless, embarrassed by their own condescendant questions, and lost of the ability to find an inadequate response to his immensely profound thoughts.

Ocean Vuong, You are a genius artist, writer! I love to hear your gentle voice with pride and humility. I am so deeply humbled and honored to know you in this lifetime.

Listening to the author makes the book so much more understandable.

When listening to Ocean we're witness to greatness.

How. How can a person be so beautiful?

That was an incredible talk. Thank you for recording this session and sharing on KZfaq. What a sensitive and inspiring writer. Can’t wait to read Ocean Vuong’s books and poetry.

You are really the ocean , you are the master , and the pupil , listening to you , is fascinating , as listening to different languages at the same time , your voice uniting them all , your ideas , how you describe the ideas the feelings , is like a healing piece of music , like a peaceful river flowing in front of the listener , lightly catching the wisdom from every idea , without judging on both sides , or exhausting our brains . Your voice resembles Michael Jackson voice , so calming . Thanks . I needed listening to Ocean talk , I woke up today angry at people did hurt me in the past , but I have so much to care about , my family , my work , my garden , I talked myself out of my anger , because I needed my energy to go forward not backwards , and care for people and matters that needed me more .

this novel really is a gem. Love it

This is so fulfilling listening to your talk and sharing! Thank you very much, team, hosts and guest, for your work! Thank you for introducing us this young talented Southeast Asian American author/story telling artist! Thank you

OMG am i the only one feel like his voice is so familiar to Michael Jackson voice, even the way he talks

What a poetic, beautiful human being. Lovely interview. Thank you for sharing. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Ocean I am proud of you. God Bless you.

Ocean Vuong, we are proud of you. You inspire us ❤️

I love your poem about the rain falling through. It's such a beautiful poem. It's so beautiful I cried at home he wrote.

So so incredible and inspirational! You speak as beautiful as you write.

my most fav talk by Ocean Vuong. Every line is resonating so much with me and my dual identity

Such a beautiful, moving book.

He's a dragon Libra, born to shine

Ocean is amazing. I'd like to point out that we should start naming United States as United States not America. Considering we have North, Central and South America. The Americas. I know its common, but we should think about this and not reinforce it.

a beautiful mind

Great talk

This part just hits hard 22:50 - 24:30

it is an amazing book. I have just finished it. I am enriched..

Go Toby!!!

Lucky KZfaq referred this video to me after looking at Viet Thanh Nguyen. Now I have two favourite writers.

Can we take a moment to appreciate how good looking Marcel Kohler is

❤️🥰❤️

😍

1:25:57 omg he is so cuteee

“She grabbed a teapot and poured a stream of jasmine tea over the rice, just enough for a few grains to float in the pale amber liquid. Sitting on the floor, we passed the fragrant, steaming bowl between us. It tasted the way you’d imagine mashed flowers would taste-bitter and dry, with a bright and sweet aftertaste. “True peasant food.” Lan grinned. “This is our fast food, Little Dog. This is our McDonald’s!” She tilted to one side and let out a huge fart. I followed her lead and let one go myself, prompting us to both laugh with our eyes closed. - quoted from the book I ate soy sauce with rice when rest of the vegetables on the table were gone, one time I think, I was little, my mom gave me to her mom. “I didn’t finish my rice but we didn’t have vegetables on the table now,” I told the man who’s my mom’s father. “Took some soy sauce” he said. Maybe a lot of poor people they don’t have the luxury to explore the sexuality, their young spirit following people that signaling kindness no matter the gender. But I’m the lucky one, those classmates I’ve met in all of my pathetic meager education, I’ve been richer than 80% of them. Maybe people in power don’t treat my kind, or the kind that below me as human. But those poor people they trying to repay that kindness even though they don’t know how to stand with their feet, they usually treat themselves with dignity as possible. People grow up in decent, clean western countries, they don’t know what have been taken from them, obliteration of spirit had been done thorough and with justice because the land isn’t belong to the Indians anymore. Because of that, despite authorities in those eastern countries treating poor civilians as disposable objects, something in those dirty people still makes them more humane than their western neighbors

Người việt Nam nổi tiếng,nhà thơ nhà văn,sách được dịch hơn 20 ngôn ngữ

When 9/11 happened I was laid up with a broken ankle taking lots of painkillers. And I saw the towers fall I was traumatically horrible.

Does anyone know the name of the writer he mentioned at around 27'54''? Thank you.

42:12

9 18

Ocean Vuong was born in Ho-Chi-Minh City in 1988. How did he experience Vietnam war when that war ended in April-30-1975 ??? Meaning he was born 13 year later.

24:36 for me

How could you forget man vs woman !!!?