From award-winning poetry to bestselling novels, the writer explores family, memory and belonging — and the power of language to tell our stories.
What can language reveal about family, identity and the experiences that shape us? These questions run through the work of Ocean Vuong, the acclaimed poet and novelist who will visit Tulane’s uptown campus Nov. 19 as part of the Carole Barnette Boudreaux ’65 Great Writers Series and International Education Week. His talk is free and open to the public, but those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP.
Born in Saigon, Vietnam, and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, Vuong has earned international recognition for work that moves between poetry and fiction. His books explore the complexities of family, migration, grief, love and connection, often through lyrical language and intimate storytelling. He is the author of the poetry collections “Night Sky With Exit Wounds” and “Time Is a Mother,” as well as the bestselling novels “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” and “The Emperor of Gladness.” He is also a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship and the American Book Award.
Here are five things you should know about Vuong before he visits campus.
1. He made his mark in poetry before turning to fiction.
Vuong’s literary career began with poetry. His debut collection, “Night Sky With Exit Wounds,” published in 2016, received major recognition, including the T.S. Eliot Prize and the Forward Prize in 2017. The collection established his reputation for vivid imagery, musical language and an unflinching examination of difficult experiences.
2. His bestselling debut novel takes the form of a letter.
“On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” is written as a letter from its narrator, a young man known as Little Dog, to his mother, who cannot read it. Through that unusual structure, the novel explores the relationship between a mother and son, the reverberations of war across generations, and the ways language can both connect people and keep them apart.
3. He wrote the first draft of his debut novel by hand — in a closet.
While working on “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous,” Vuong cleared out a closet in his apartment, added a lamp and headphones, and used the small space to write. In a 2020 conversation with the Los Angeles Times, he recalled that the closet was the only quiet place available to him. He also wrote the novel’s first draft by hand. In a 2019 interview with Shelf Awareness, Vuong described writing by hand as part of a process that allowed him to spend more time with each sentence. The manuscript went through multiple drafts before publication.
4. His work moves between grief, memory and the possibility of renewal.
Across his poetry and fiction, Vuong returns to the ways people carry personal and collective histories. His writing examines how family relationships are shaped by migration, economic hardship, violence and loss, while also making room for tenderness, connection and moments of beauty. His second poetry collection, “Time Is a Mother,” published in 2022, explores grief and memory following his mother’s death.
5. His newest novel offers another way into his work.
Published in 2025, “The Emperor of Gladness” follows Hai, a young man in crisis, and an older woman, Grazina, who lives with dementia. Their unlikely connection develops into a story about friendship, care and the people who become family.
Set in the fictional postindustrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, the novel examines the lives of people navigating economic uncertainty and the limits of the American promise. It also demonstrates Vuong’s continued interest in the stories of people who are often pushed to the margins.
Readers who first encountered Vuong through his poetry or “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” will find familiar concerns in the novel, alongside a new cast of characters and a broader exploration of community and belonging.