Get Lit January Book Club: Ocean Vuong with Musical Guest Quinn Christopherson
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Join WNYC's Alison Stewart and Ocean Vuong for a live conversation about his book, The Emperor of Gladness, followed by a special musical performance from Quinn Christopherson.
The New York Public Library and WNYC—two indispensable New York institutions—are partnering to host a book club that brings New Yorkers together and fosters community.
The January title is Ocean Vuong's The Emperor of Gladness, a novel about chosen family, unexpected friendship, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive.
One late summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia, who convinces him to take another path. Bereft and out of options, he quickly becomes her caretaker. Over the course of the year, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond, one built on empathy, spiritual reckoning, and heartbreak, with the power to transform Hai’s relationship to himself, his family, and a community on the brink.
Following the cycles of history, memory, and time, The Emperor of Gladness shows the profound ways in which love, labor, and loneliness form the bedrock of American life. At its heart is a brave epic about what it means to exist on the fringes of society and to reckon with the wounds that haunt our collective soul. Hallmarks of Ocean Vuong’s writing—formal innovation, syntactic dexterity, and the ability to twin grit with grace through tenderness—are on full display in this story of loss, hope, and how far we would go to possess one of life’s most fleeting mercies: a second chance.
Throughout the month, All of It host Alison Stewart and the Library will accompany readers, providing touchpoints on-air and on social media at @allofitwnyc and @nypl. Borrow the book (and more than 300,000 others) for free through the Library on your preferred device. Learn more: nypl.org/ebookhelp
Join Stewart, the author, and readers everywhere for a live conversation, in-person or online, on Tuesday, January 20 at 6 PM. The conversation will be followed by a special musical performance from Quinn Christopherson.
To join in person | Please be sure to register for an In-Person Ticket. Doors will open 30 minutes before the program. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.
To join the livestream | A livestream of this event will be available on the NYPL event page. To receive an email reminder shortly in advance of the event, please be sure to register!
ACCESSIBILITY
In-Person | Assistive listening devices and/or hearing loops are available at the venue. You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template. This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.
Livestream | Captions and a transcript will be provided. You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.
GET THE BOOK
- Borrow: NYPL Catalog
- E-Books: Check out this title—and even more NYPL e-books—on your favorite device. Learn more: nypl.org/ebookhelp
Don't have a New York Public Library card? Get one here!
To see all of our previous WNYC Get Lit titles check out our book club page here!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ocean Vuong is the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collections Night Sky with Exit Wounds and Time Is a Mother, as well as the New York Times bestselling novels On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous and The Emperor of Gladness. A recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship and the American Book Award, he was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and currently splits his time between western Massachusetts and New York City.
ABOUT THE PERFORMER
Quinn Christopherson is an Ahtna and Inupiaq songwriter from Anchorage, Alaska. He won NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest in 2019 and has since toured across the U.S. and Canada with artists like Portugal. The Man, Sharon Van Etten, and Jason Isbell. His debut album, Write Your Name in Pink (2022), blends honest storytelling with bold sound. Most recently, Quinn co-wrote Portugal. The Man’s song “Denali.”
Please submit all press inquiries at least 48 hours before the event by emailing press@nypl.org or by using this Gmail template.
For all other questions and inquiries, please email adultprogramming@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.
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