Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong

Night Sky with Exit Wounds, written in 2016 by Ocean Vuong, is a powerful collection of poetry. This collection of poetry delves deep into the powerful themes of identity, heritage and violence, as well as love and loss. Throughout the collection Vuong examines the complexities of being an immigrant as he reflects on his personal story, as well as the history of Vietnam.

Vuong began his journey in life in a refugee camp in Thailand before ultimately settling in Hartford, Connecticut. His mixed refugee status and his experience of living in an American culture opened the door for him to write on topics of nationality and identity, creating a nuanced sense of what it means to exist in the intersections of different cultural influences.

The collection opens with the poem “Someday I’ll Love Ocean Vuong”, which introduces readers to the theme of identity that runs throughout the collection. “Someday I will learn how to love Ocean Vuong,” the speaker of the poem says, as they struggle to make sense of the labels they were given at birth, their lack of culture, and how their American-born status has limited their sense of belonging and acceptance.

Several pieces in the collection focus on the theme of heritage, in which Vuong uses his own personal experiences to illustrate the impact of memories on the present. In “Sing the Allure of Being Out at Sea” Vuong writes about being a refugee child, and how his defining memory of freedom was dipping his feet in the waters of the South and West China Seas. He reflects on the beauty of the ocean and how he was blessed to have experienced it, despite the pain and sacrifices made during the long journey.

Vuong further explores the theme of violence and its impact on identity in several of his pieces. These include “Before the War” and “American War”, which examine the cycles of violent conflict that plague his home country of Vietnam, and how the psychological wounds of war continue to affect people both in Vietnam and in the diasporic communities around the world.

The collection also has many tender, heartfelt moments of love and loss, such as in “Gift” and “Asether”. In these poems Vuong recognizes the beauty, but also complicated realities, of intimate relationships, providing his readers with an incredibly intimate glimpse into his life.

The power and beauty of Vuong’s writing shines through in Night Sky with Exit Wounds, and the collection is sure to leave readers filled with a deep and meaningful understanding of identity, heritage, and the complex realities of life. Vuong masterfully uses haunting imagery, personal reflection and complex complexities to bring readers to a new realm of understanding.