NEW YORK (AP) — Oprah Winfrey’s newest e-book membership decide is a brand new novel from Ocean Vuong, one of many nation’s most admired younger writers.
Winfrey introduced Tuesday that she has chosen Vuong’s “The Emperor of Gladness,” wherein the Vietnamese American creator tells of the bond between a suicidal teen and an aged widow with dementia. Winfrey’s video podcast interview with Vuong may be seen on her YouTube channel, amongst different retailers. The interview was held in Chicago at a Starbucks, which is partnering with Winfrey for the present version of her e-book membership.
“Ocean draws from his own personal experiences of being born in Vietnam, raised in a working-class family in Connecticut, and working as a fast-food server as inspiration for this story, which features an unlikely cast of truly unforgettable characters,” Winfrey stated in a press release. “This award-winning author and acclaimed poet has written in stunning prose, a heartfelt and powerful examination of those living on the fringes of society, and the unique challenges they face to survive and thrive.”
Vuong, 36, has acquired quite a few honors, together with the T.S. Eliot Prize and Pushcart Prize for his poetry, a MacArthur Fellowship and a Whiting grant awarded to promising writers. His different books embody the novel “On Earth We Were Briefly Gorgeous” and the poetry collections “Night Sky with Exit Wounds” and “Time Is a Mother.”
In a press release Tuesday, he stated that receiving “the call” from Winfrey was one of many highlights of his life, with a poignant echo of his childhood.
“Sitting in my mother’s nail salon, I watched women see Oprah featuring an author on her show, which played each day in the salon, and literally rise from their seats with poise and confidence, saying they’re gonna walk to the Barnes and Noble across the street and buy a book, suddenly armed with access to the discourse, and thereby in possession of the cultural center,” he stated.
“To think of my book being invited to join such a profound lineage is truly awe-inspiring. I only wish my mother were alive to see it. Among all the literary achievements in an author’s life, this would be the one she truly recognizes.”
