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Author and poet Ocean Vuong grew up in Hartford, Connecticut. It's a city he describes as having beautiful, vibrant life.

His mother worked in a nail salon and his stepfather worked in manufacturing. Speaking about his mother and aunts, who immigrated from Vietnam, Vuong says he was raised by storytellers.

Today, Vuong is one of the nation's most celebrated storytellers. He's winner of a prestigious MacArthur "genius" Grant and a tenured professor at New York University.

His new book, "The Emperor of Gladness," is set in the fictional town of East Gladness, Connecticut. Vuong said he started writing the book to start to navigate grief after his mother’s death. He joined us to talk about his book, and how growing up in Connecticut shaped his writing.

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Ocean Vuong:writer, professor and author of "The Emperor of Gladness"

Chloe Wynn, Coco Cooley and Isaac Moss contributed to this hour.

Where We Live is available on Apple Podcasts,Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

Author and poet Ocean Vuong grew up in Hartford, Connecticut. It's a city he describes as having beautiful, vibrant life.
His mother worked in a nail salon and his stepfather worked in manufacturing. Speaking about his mother and aunts, who immigrated from Vietnam, Vuong says he was raised by storytellers.
Today, Vuong is one of the nation's most celebrated storytellers. He's winner of a prestigious MacArthur "genius" Grant and a tenured professor at New York University.
His new book, "The Emperor of Gladness," is set in the fictional town of East Gladness, Connecticut. Vuong said he started writing the book to start to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/05/19/nx-s1-5399596/the-emperor-of-gladness-review-ocean-vuong">navigate grief after his mother&rsquo;s death.</a> He joined us to talk about his book, and how growing up in Connecticut shaped his writing.
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<a href="https://www.oceanvuong.com/">Ocean Vuong:</a> writer, professor and author of "The Emperor of Gladness"
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Chloe Wynn, Coco Cooley and Isaac Moss contributed to this hour.
Where We Live is available on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-we-live/id706066099">Apple Podcasts,</a> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0j08SgnZIU5BmjDyHbgjgP">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/43f3a507-ebfa-4876-b34a-030759a8924c/where-we-live">Amazon Music</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/Government/Where-We-Live-p1207905/">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/where-we-live-connecticut-public-radio-lz9NAwSEexh/">Listen Notes,</a> or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

Produced by Connecticut Public, 'Where We Live' puts Connecticut in context. Host Catherine Shen brings us fascinating, informed, in-depth conversations and stories beyond news headlines.  We start local, but we take time to explore domestic and international issues and consider how they impact us personally and here at home.

Produced by Connecticut Public, '<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/where-we-live/about">Where We Live'</a> puts Connecticut in context. Host Catherine Shen brings us fascinating, informed, in-depth conversations and stories beyond news headlines.  We start local, but we take time to explore domestic and international issues and consider how they impact us personally and here at home.

Where We Live is a call-in talk show about who we are in Connecticut and our place in the world.

Where We Live

Produced by Connecticut Public, '<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/where-we-live/about">Where We Live'</a> puts Connecticut in context. Host Catherine Shen brings us fascinating, informed, in-depth conversations and stories beyond news headlines.  We start local, but we take time to explore domestic and international issues and consider how they impact us personally and here at home.