In the poem 'Immigrant Haibun' he muses that “Maybe the body is the only question an answer can't extinguish.” And in the poem 'Headfirst' he considers how “the body is a blade that sharpens by cutting”. Several poems give jolting new views on how we inhabit our skin and exist in relation to each other. Vuong has such an interesting way of discussing our bodies.
It's a thrilling new perspective charged with so much energy and passion. He draws upon references from Greek mythology and American iconography taking them into an entirely new context. Together they form a portrait of a distinct personality and the creation of an independent voice while meditating on themes including the body, violence, sex and nationality. The book is comprised of three sections: the first mostly deals with family heritage/the Vietnam War the second mostly concerns childhood/family life and the third explores adulthood and looking to the future. His poems have that arresting quality as they clearly come from the heart and contain an urgent desire to communicate.
First published in 2016, it feels like one of those break-out books of poetry that's been universally lauded. “Night Sky with Exit Wounds” by Ocean Vuong is one of these. There are some books which sit on your shelves for ages and you know you'll love them, but don't get around to reading them for some reason.
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