Story Saved</tle><path class="in-bookmark-fill in-bookmark--activated-outle" d="M20 24L12.5 19.7804L5 24V3H20V24ZM12.5 18.6028L19 22.2336V3.98131H6V22.2336L12.5 18.6028Z" fill="black"></path><path class="in-bookmark-fill in-bookmark--activated-checkmark" d="M11.5541 13.7033L9 11.2033L9.66216 10.5552L11.5541 12.407L15.3378 8.70331L16 9.35146L11.5541 13.7033Z" fill="black"></path></svg></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ AlertMsage-jgAjgo bVCFRm bGlCJj hOUjyY alert-msage"><p>To revis this article, select My Acunt, then<!-- --> <a href="/acunt/saved">View saved stori</a></p></div><button class="BaseButton-bLlsy ButtonWrapper-xCepQ AoBt eegVhC button button--utily close-alert-button" data-event-click="{"element":"Button"}" data-ttid="Button" role="button" type="button"><span class="ButtonLabel-cjAuJN bBWXSg button__label">Close Alert</span><div class="ButtonInWrapper-gFdzAL bPDyTT button__in-ntaer"><svg class="ButtonIn-YqaGo iwlhuX button-in in in-close" focable="false" 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18.6028L19 22.2336V3.98131H6V22.2336L12.5 18.6028Z" fill="black"></path><path class="in-bookmark-fill in-bookmark--activated-checkmark" d="M11.5541 13.7033L9 11.2033L9.66216 10.5552L11.5541 12.407L15.3378 8.70331L16 9.35146L11.5541 13.7033Z" fill="black"></path></svg></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ AlertMsage-jgAjgo bVCFRm bGlCJj hOUjyY alert-msage"><p>To revis this article, vis My Profile, then<!-- --> <a href="/acunt/saved">View saved stori</a></p></div><button class="BaseButton-bLlsy ButtonWrapper-xCepQ AoBt eegVhC button button--utily close-alert-button" data-event-click="{"element":"Button"}" data-ttid="Button" role="button" type="button"><span class="ButtonLabel-cjAuJN bBWXSg button__label">Close Alert</span><div class="ButtonInWrapper-gFdzAL bPDyTT button__in-ntaer"><svg class="ButtonIn-YqaGo iwlhuX button-in in in-close" focable="false" viewBox="0 0 32 32" width="32" height="32" xmlns="><path d="M16 14.586l6.364-6.364 1.414 1.414L17.414 16l6.364 6.364-1.414 1.414L16 17.414l-6.364 6.364-1.414-1.414L14.586 16 8.222 9.636l1.414-1.414z" fill-le="nonzero"></path></svg></div></button></div></div><div class="StackedNavigatnSectnLogo-gMsxSu fSSYid"><a href="/" class="StackedNavigatnLogoLk-byNqXP dmvHfj"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa rponsive-image"><img alt="GQ" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="/verso/static/gq-global/assets/" srcSet="" siz="100vw"/></picture></a></div><div class="StackedNavigatnSectnMobileOptn-iaaAJG bVfHSV"><div class="StackedNavigatnSectnUtilyLks-kGMcBq eXrsQA"></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--mob-nav-cta" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--mob-nav-cta"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div></div></div></hear><div role="dialog" aria-modal="te" aria-label="Overlay Navigatn" class="SeHearStickyWrapper-kjoINF OverlayNavigatnWrapper-kDSKXC 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xmlns="><tle>Instagram</tle><path d="M16 8C18.173 8 18.445 8.01 19.298 8.048C20.15 8.087 20.731 8.222 21.24 8.42C21.766 8.624 22.213 8.898 22.657 9.343C23.102 9.787 23.376 10.233 23.58 10.76C23.778 11.269 23.913 11.85 23.952 12.702C23.991 13.555 24 13.827 24 16C24 18.173 23.99 18.445 23.952 19.298C23.913 20.15 23.778 20.731 23.58 21.24C23.379 21.7738 23.064 22.2574 22.657 22.657C22.213 23.102 21.767 23.376 21.24 23.58C20.731 23.778 20.15 23.913 19.298 23.952C18.445 23.991 18.173 24 16 24C13.827 24 13.555 23.99 12.702 23.952C11.85 23.913 11.269 23.778 10.76 23.58C10.2262 23.379 9.74259 23.064 9.343 22.657C8.93593 22.2574 8.62093 21.7738 8.42 21.24C8.222 20.731 8.087 20.15 8.048 19.298C8.01 18.445 8 18.173 8 16C8 13.827 8.01 13.555 8.048 12.702C8.087 11.85 8.222 11.269 8.42 10.76C8.624 10.234 8.898 9.787 9.343 9.343C9.787 8.898 10.233 8.624 10.76 8.42C11.269 8.222 11.85 8.087 12.702 8.048C13.555 8.01 13.827 8 16 8ZM16 10C14.046 10 13.814 10.007 13.043 10.043C12.329 10.075 11.942 10.194 11.683 10.295C11.3657 10.4124 11.0787 10.5993 10.843 10.842C10.586 11.098 10.427 11.342 10.295 11.684C10.195 11.942 10.075 12.329 10.043 13.043C10.007 13.814 10 14.046 10 16C10 17.954 10.007 18.186 10.043 18.957C10.075 19.671 10.194 20.058 10.295 20.317C10.427 20.658 10.586 20.902 10.842 21.157C11.098 21.414 11.342 21.573 11.684 21.705C11.942 21.805 12.329 21.925 13.043 21.957C13.814 21.993 14.046 22 16 22C17.954 22 18.186 21.993 18.957 21.957C19.671 21.925 20.058 21.806 20.317 21.705C20.658 21.573 20.902 21.414 21.157 21.158C21.414 20.902 21.573 20.658 21.705 20.316C21.805 20.058 21.925 19.671 21.957 18.957C21.993 18.186 22 17.954 22 16C22 14.046 21.993 13.814 21.957 13.043C21.925 12.329 21.806 11.942 21.705 11.683C21.5876 11.3657 21.4007 11.0787 21.158 10.843C20.9219 10.5997 20.6341 10.4124 20.316 10.295C20.058 10.195 19.671 10.075 18.957 10.043C18.186 10.007 17.954 10 16 10ZM16 11.768C16.5558 11.768 17.1061 11.8775 17.6195 12.0901C18.133 12.3028 18.5995 12.6145 18.9925 13.0075C19.3855 13.4005 19.6972 13.867 19.9099 14.3805C20.1225 14.8939 20.232 15.4442 20.232 16C20.232 16.5558 20.1225 17.1061 19.9099 17.6195C19.6972 18.133 19.3855 18.5995 18.9925 18.9925C18.5995 19.3855 18.133 19.6972 17.6195 19.9099C17.1061 20.1225 16.5558 20.232 16 20.232C14.8776 20.232 13.8012 19.7861 13.0075 18.9925C12.2139 18.1988 11.768 17.1224 11.768 16C11.768 14.8776 12.2139 13.8012 13.0075 13.0075C13.8012 12.2139 14.8776 11.768 16 11.768ZM16 18.368C16.628 18.368 17.2303 18.1185 17.6744 17.6744C18.1185 17.2303 18.368 16.628 18.368 16C18.368 15.372 18.1185 14.7697 17.6744 14.3256C17.2303 13.8815 16.628 13.632 16 13.632C15.372 13.632 14.7697 13.8815 14.3256 14.3256C13.8815 14.7697 13.632 15.372 13.632 16C13.632 16.628 13.8815 17.2303 14.3256 17.6744C14.7697 18.1185 15.372 18.368 16 18.368ZM21.3 11.85C21.3 12.155 21.1788 12.4475 20.9632 12.6632C20.7475 12.8788 20.455 13 20.15 13C19.845 13 19.5525 12.8788 19.3368 12.6632C19.1212 12.4475 19 12.155 19 11.85C19 11.545 19.1212 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nsumer-marketg-un__slot--cm-riser"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><div class="SpaceHolr-oayp fXtswJ ad-height-hold"></div><div class="StickyHeroAdWrapper-eNLJUc gStsdY ad-stickyhero ad-stickyhero--standard ad-stickyhero-enable-mobile should-hold-space"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--hero"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--hero" data-no-id="vhg7wpj"></div></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--display-hero" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--display-hero"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><div class="SpaceHolr-oayp fXtswJ ad-height-hold"></div><ma id="ma-ntent" tabx="-1" class="BasePageMaContent-kFvAuh ewPCZH page__ma-ntent"><article class="article ma-ntent" lang="en-US"><div class="ArticlePageLeBackground-EufvU tFsh"><hear class="ContentHearWrapper-clujbs kaZCaf ntent-hear article__ntent-hear"><div data-ttid="ContentHearContaer" class="ContentHearContaer-cGKRbE knDxNq"><div class="ContentHearHedAccredatnWrapper-GFiQf cDNVlV"><div data-ttid="ContentHearTleBlockWrapper" class="ContentHearTleBlockWrapper-cjmSKp cCntXd"><div data-ttid="ContentHearRubric" class="ContentHearRubricBlock-LmpbT eRFpQc"><div data-ttid="ContentHearRubricDateBlock" class="ContentHearRubricDateBlock-kAQcZP fTFWxD"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX kpuNXj bric ContentHearRubricContaer-eTudtt iRsSlw"><a class="RubricLk-gRWSOU fTtYjx bric__lk" href="/culture"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Culture</span></a></div></div></div><h1 data-ttid="ContentHearHed" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ ContentHearHed-NCyCC iUEiRd jPOabC BjYFU">Ocean Vuong Explor the Comg-of-Age of Queerns</h1></div><div class="ContentHearAccredatn-lfctVB etVsnJ ntent-hear__accredatn" data-ttid="ContentHearAccredatn"><div class="ContentHearDek-bIqFFZ eASNBN">In his but novel, <em>On Earth We’re Briefly Geo</em>, the thor turns queer sire to the weather. He opens up about pturg the msier moments durg gay sex, <em>Crazy Rich Asians</em>, and beg ultra-basic.</div><div class="ContentHearByle-kmPyCa emiglw"><div class="ContentHearByleContent-dpPmNn DRFq"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl ContentHearByl-cZqgyJ bHLeKI"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH gtxxjM byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd dlWgVJ gnILss byle__preamble">By </span><a class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM ByleLk-gEnFiw iUEiRd fhQbnq dzFUnH eErqIx byle__name-lk button" href="/ntributor/mchell-kuga">Mchell Kuga</a></span></span></p></div><time data-ttid="ContentHearPublishDate" dateTime="2019-06-24T11:00:00-04:00" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ ContentHearPublishDate-eIBicG iUEiRd ivrQAn cZpOSL">June 24, 2019</time></div></div><div class="SocialInsWrapper-hKMEXV ffgPVr social-ins social-ins--standard ContentHearAccredatnSocialIns-jorO fPzfaa ntent-hear__social-share"><ul data-ttid="socialInslist" class="SocialInsList-cHVTIA ivmblD social-ins__list"></ul></div></div></div><div class="ContentHearLeadAsset-hGbumP fEknXh lead-asset ContentHearLeadAssetWrapper-hfXHEc Grck lead-asset--width-fullbleed" data-ttid="ContentHearLeadAsset"><figure class="ContentHearLeadAssetContent-kOfYSG dRGWbI"><div class="ContentHearLeadAssetContentMedia-bLEIpi jjhWdS lead-asset__ntent__photo"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset ContentHearRponsiveAsset-bREgIb hONbnm"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz ccdiSo"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa ContentHearRponsiveAsset-bREgIb hONbnm rponsive-image"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w, 1920w, 2240w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Ocean Vuong" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></picture></div></div></span><div class="CaptnWrapper-jSZdqE dVZQpq ptn ContentHearLeadAssetCaptn-hPWmSN XczIg"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnCred-ejegDm iUEiRd cdsJgg fNaHcW ptn__cred">Doug Levy/Guardian/eyeve/Rx</span></div></div></figure></div></div><asi class="PersistentAsiWrapper-VGrR oEIBz persistent-asi persistent-asi--align-left" style="posn:absolute;top:to;height:to" data-ttid="PersistentAsiWrapper"><div class="StickyBoxWrapper-jfYB jNgrSF sticky-box ContentHearPersistentAsi-fsnAmQ dFzKzm"><div class="StickyBoxPrimary-dzWDWL cdhYoN sticky-box__primary"><div class="SocialInsWrapper-hKMEXV ffgPVr social-ins social-ins--has-background ContentHearSocialIns-jzJiyg ctaZl social-ins--share"><ul data-ttid="socialInslist" class="SocialInsList-cHVTIA ivmblD social-ins__list"></ul></div></div><div class="StickyBoxPlaceholr-grPmrg dxAvXx"></div></div></asi></hear></div><div data-attribute-verso-pattern="article-body" class="ArticlePageContentBackGround-cNiFNN kJkLmH article-body__ntent"><div class="ArticlePageChunksContent-etcMtP eRxRjL"><div data-ttid="ArticlePageChunks" class="ArticlePageChunks-fLyCVG eOdfIs"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bjczjj grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa edvONh body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p>By his own admissn, at least on <a data-offer-url=" class="external-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, Ocean Vuong n be summed up four words: “very libra. ultra basic.” Three years ago, when he started teachg poetry at the Universy of Massachetts at Amherst, his stunts often ratnalized his opns by potg out that he was a Libra, leavg Vuong, who was more faiar wh Che astrology, feelg “so exposed.” He did some homework on the tras of Libras. “One of the factors is there is a lot of pent-up emotns that have very few releas,” he says, lghg, a week before the release of his but novel, <em>On Earth We’re Briefly Geo</em>.</p><p>The ultra-basic? “That's jt growg up poor,” says Vuong, 30, who was born Ho Chi Mh Cy before immigratg to Hartford, Connecticut, when he was two. “That's jt growg up and eatg mayonnaise and Wonr Bread sandwich. But 's ultra-basic. We n take basic to a celebratory extreme.”</p><p><em>On Earth We’re Briefly Geo</em> tak place agast this backdrop of ultra-basis, a Connecticut of mobile hom, bathrooms wh “pea-soup walls,” and rner stor ltered wh food-stamp receipts. Framed as a letter om a 28-year-old son, Ltle Dog, to his illerate mother, the novel don’t advance so much as unravel, eeg threads that exame queerns, class, race, and the herance of trma. Throughout, Ltle Dog attempts to make sense of his inty through the actured history of his mother, who works gelg hours at a nail salon, and his schizophrenic grandmother, a former sex worker Vietnam. He begs a relatnship wh a boy named Trevor, who’s addicted to oxydone, while workg on a tobac farm. In wrg about Ameri, Vuong has ultimately wrten a novel about Amerin failure. “The one good thg about natnal anthems,” Ltle Dog wr, “is that we’re already on our feet, and therefore ready to n.”</p><div class="Contaer-bkChBi byNLHx"></div><p><em>GQ</em> spoke to the wrer, who won the T. S. Elt Prize for his 2016 llectn of poetry, <em>Night Sky wh Ex Wounds,</em> about astrology, Pri, and wrg about gay sex.</p><div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--article-mid-ntent" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--article-mid-ntent nsumer-marketg-un__slot---ntent"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><p><strong>GQ: As someone who intifi as “very Libra,” why do you thk astrology has bee so popular wh the queer muny?</strong></p><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad---ntent"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot---ntent" data-no-id="zwd7"></div></div><p><em>Ocean Vuong:</em> You know, I love astrology bee giv you a amework to mystify and un-shame certa parts of yourself, even thgs you thk are flaws, even thgs that the world might pathologize you for. Astrology ems as part of your makp, and then you n al wh wh a language that isn't shameful, which is why has been so important for queer folks. Instead of sayg you're emotnal, you're terrible, you're ceful, you're wrong, you say, <em>Well, you're a Libra.</em> [<em>lghs</em>] And now there's a home for . We create the hom for ourselv.</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-1 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p><strong>Sex is a notorly difficult thg to wre about, and somethg you do que vividly throughout this book, pturg the whiplash between sire and shame. I'm wonrg if you had any guis through the procs, particularly as pertas to wrg about gay sex?</strong></p></div></div></div><div class="GridItem-buujkM fVLMby grid--em grid-layout__asi"><div class="StickyBoxWrapper-jfYB kNleGZ sticky-box"><div class="StickyBoxPrimary-dzWDWL cdhYoN sticky-box__primary"><div class="Contaer-bkChBi byNLHx"></div><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--rail"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--rail" data-no-id="0l0tx"></div></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--display-rail" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--display-rail"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><div class="StickyBoxPlaceholr-grPmrg dxAvXx"></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="tc2ver"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bjczjj grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa edvONh body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p>There are a few guis, to be surprisgly hont, but David Wojnarowicz is the one. A lot of tim was jt his diari, particularly his tape journals [<em>Weight of the Earth</em>] that were jt released, and the say “Closer to the Kniv.” He's the only wrer that really jt said , unabashed, unrmed by the lerary etiquette that we are often asked to perform. I read a queer book recently where the wrer scrib walkg to a room, and jt said, "Love was ma there." I thought, <em>Okay, sure. Why have we been so whewashed?</em></p><p>For so many queer folks, this is where we have the most agency. Sometim we don't have a say what we do for a job, how our fai see , but we do have a say about where we fd pleasure, who go si and who we go si of. That's when we have a choice, and I wanted to stay there, a place ght wh fear, terror, shame, but also power. So the sex scen are repeated. They're elongated.</p><p>Dire is a force that ils and brews a storm , even when we're jt lookg at somebody. I wanted to turn sire to the weather, to stay a moment of potency.</p><p><strong>I found que radil, pecially when Ltle Dog los his virgy, and you addrs the msier moments that n occur dog anal sex. It's so faiar to gay timacy and yet rarely acknowledged, particularly lerature. What pelled you to wre about the unrbelly of gay sex?</strong></p><p>I specifilly wrote that for queer folks. There are rare moments when I know who my dience is. I'm not a wrer who lik to wre for specific people—I don't like to be a reprentative of any group—but that moment I felt like there has to be a moment of regnizabily and, further, that that quote-unquote mss or failure is not wrong. It's part of the g-of-age of queerns. It's also a moment of mercy. A moment of bodily failure is actually a moment where the queer bodi are their most real. Where they are absolutely standg alone on their own two feet and they start to rcue each other that moment. Not bee they are margalized or ostracized, but bee they are so outsi of the ame they fd their own power.</p><p><strong>Do you rell the first time you ever saw your queer Asianns reflected a piece of art?</strong></p><p>Alexanr Chee would be lerature, which sounds absurd bee he's ntemporary, but that would be the first. But the most emblematic was <em>Happy Together</em> by Wong Kar-Wai, bee they were untouched by whens, and that's so rare. It's so rare. Not to mentn 's jt a betiful story. The energy was always vlent and toxic, but they were on their own terms.</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-2 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p><strong>I wonr if that specificy n exist Ameri.</strong></p><p>I went to see <em>Crazy Rich Asians</em> here—I didn't love the movie, I thought was borg—but I walked to this theater wtern Massachetts, and was packed full of mostly whe people at 11:30 the morng. I sat there, and the first song that me on was tradnal Che opera. The movie didn't even beg— was jt the song and early creds—and I jt sobbed. Bee I never thought I would live to see anythg like that.</p></div></div></div><div class="GridItem-buujkM fVLMby grid--em grid-layout__asi"><div class="StickyBoxWrapper-jfYB jxBcTH sticky-box"><div class="StickyBoxPrimary-dzWDWL cdhYoN sticky-box__primary"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--rail"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--rail" data-no-id="jt6kr"></div></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--display-rail" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--display-rail"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div><div data-attr-viewport-monor="" class="RecircMostPopularWrapper-bRuGTi jkTTgR recirc-most-popular-wrapper viewport-monor-anchor"></div></div><div class="StickyBoxPlaceholr-grPmrg dxAvXx"></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="g8rgx3"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bjczjj grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa edvONh body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p><strong>Do you have a thg your closet, an em that mak you feel the most queer?</strong></p><p>I purposefully like to wear asymmetric earrgs, one dangly, one stud. It's the one moment when I say I'm purposefully off-kilter. I want people to be disoriented by my face. Even jt nceptually, I fd joy havg one si be different. Even my ey, one of my ey is different than the other. It took me a long time to fd joy that.</p><p><strong>I’m cur about your relatnship to events like Pri, particularly as a Buddhist?</strong></p><p>Well, as a Buddhist, 's almost at tim ntradictory to notns of pri, bee pri is related to ego. Hardre Buddhism would say there is no such thg as the self, that the body is merely a hotel room we try to re for and then we leave. And some sense I thk that's te. In another sense I thk now is one of the most important moments to rethk Pri’s relatnship to queerns. A lot of the Pri paras have been hijacked by late palism, the modifitn of the queer body to sell Chase bank acunts. We've had fuckg rabow Doros, for God's sake. Now let's talk about safety, health-re rights, laws to protect each other. To me Pri has to quickly translate to re. And if we don't have that trajectory, that bridge om one to another, I'm not that terted.</p><p><strong>You wre om the perspective of Ltle Dog, a succsful wrer: “They will want you to succeed, but never more than them. They will wre their nam on your leash and ll you <em>necsary</em>, ll you <em>urgent</em>.” Who is “they,” and what is the leash you’re referrg to?</strong></p><p>In general, "they" are people power, the gatekeepers, and ultimately that amework surrounds whens. I didn't want to wre a story that folks uld jt get lost on vatn and move on. I wanted the mirror of a breathg queer wrer of lor the world to be reflected back onto the rear. That's a moment when the wrer himself really ntemplat what means to be succsful, and how succs is not necsarily a clear statn. It don't mean you've arrived. I mean, you got somewhere, but 's not necsarily—'s not eedom. You're not ee of whens. People start to project their project and their sense of history onto you. You're still on a leash, no matter where you go.</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-3 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p>The moment you're quotg there is actually a moment when the book llaps, and that was important to me; to wre a queer narrative is to wre purposeful llapse to that narrative. In a lot of the Wtern non we ask for hn, particularly of queer bodi, and what I want to ask is how n we wre hive stori when our liv do not get the privilege of hn? In orr for a queer wrer of lor to wre a hive story is to ultimately wre a lie.</p><p><strong>Speakg to this llapse, your book jos a leage of queer narrativ wh a tragic narrative arch. Do you feel like you are nversatn wh that leage?</strong></p><p>It was propelled and rmed by that leage, but I don't nsir a tragic story. As a wrer, I knew I didn't want to wre a tragedy. I wanted to wre about Amerin failure. Bee when we thk of the tragedy, we thk of relatn to the queer body: The queer body fails, and therefore 's tragic. But what I want to reame, perhaps, is that Amerin masculy is a failure self which no one thriv, cludg the characters this book. People are lost to opids, which is an Amerin failure. It's not necsarily lookg at queerns as tragedy, but that Ameri as we know is a tragic trajectory. That's why was important for me for the book to not end on ath; lerally ends on the lghter of an Asian-Amerin woman. That's the last le.</p></div></div></div><div class="GridItem-buujkM fVLMby grid--em grid-layout__asi"><div class="StickyBoxWrapper-jfYB jxBcTH sticky-box"><div class="StickyBoxPrimary-dzWDWL cdhYoN sticky-box__primary"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--rail"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--rail" data-no-id="c3vov"></div></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--display-rail" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--display-rail"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><div class="StickyBoxPlaceholr-grPmrg dxAvXx"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 PaywallInleBarrierWhWrapperGrid-fyrGfS kLQIUk grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="body body__le-barrier article__body"><div class="ntaer ntaer--body"><div class="ntaer--body-ner"><asi 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