The Books Briefing: When Poets Write Novels
A background in poetry can enrich the process of writing fiction: Your weekly guide to the best in books
After the success of Ocean Vuong’s poetry collection , some dismissively suggested that the poet explore themes other than “war, violence, queerness, and immigration,” Kat Chow reported in . But Vuong wasn’t done considering those topics. So he disregarded his critics and wrote a novel. In , Vuong continues to grapple with those questions, evoking his childhood with urgency, lyricism, and—more than anything—careful
