Ocean Vuong's Reading List

"Teach Us to Outgrow our Madness, by Kenzaburo Oe."

"The Melancholia of Class, by Cynthia Cruz."

"Thomas Merton's Seeds of Contemplation. Other than that, I don't really reread books, even ones I deeply admire."

"For a much more diverse thinking to fiction craft, I'd recommend Meander, Spiral, Explode, by Jane Alison."

"For a much more diverse thinking to fiction craft, I'd recommend Living by Fiction, by Annie Dillard, who is also a poet."

"Toni Morrison's Sula."