Ocean Vuong doesn’t erase pain from beauty

Ocean Vuong, author and poet, explores themes of beauty, pain, and the drive to create in his Wild Card interview. He recounts formative childhood memories of growing up in Hartford, including his mother's imaginative storytelling as a means of protection from the harsh realities of their environment. Vuong details how Zadie Smith encouraged him to write his newest book, The Emperor of Gladness, which draws from his experiences with poverty and caring for an elderly woman. He reflects on the importance of detaching from external validation, striving instead for authenticity and personal growth. Ultimately, Vuong expresses a longing to reach a point where he can cease writing, having sharpened his perception of the world to a degree where creation is no longer necessary.