Watch: Ocean Vuong Perform A Reading From His Novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

In a Service95 exclusive, Ocean Vuong, author of Dua’s Monthly Read for November, performs a reading from his novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.

In this excerpt, the protagonist, Little Dog, reflects on his mother’s relationship with labour – precisely her job in a nail salon and the physical toll it took on her body. He explores how Vietnamese culture endured in America, sustained in the backrooms of workplaces, and examines how the American Dream, along with the act of immigrating, reshapes one’s entire identity.

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