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Time Is a Mother
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
The highly anticipated collection of poems from the award-winning writer Ocean Vuong How else do we return to ourselves but to fold The page so it points to the good part In this deeply intimate second poetry collection, Ocean Vuong searches for life among the aftershocks of his mother's death, embodying the paradox of sitting within grief while being determined to survive beyond it. Shifting through memory, and in concert with the themes of his novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, Vuong contends with personal loss, the meaning of family, and the cost of being the product of an American war in America. At once vivid, brave, and propulsive, Vuong's poems circle fragmented lives to find both restoration as well as the epicenter of the break. The author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection Night Sky With Exit Wounds, winner of the 2016 Whiting Award, the 2017 T. S. Eliot Prize, and a 2019 MacArthur fellow, Vuong writes directly to our humanity without losing sight of the current moment. These poems represent a more innovative and daring experimentation with language and form, illuminating how the themes we perennially live in and question are truly inexhaustible. Bold and prescient, and a testament to tenderness in the face of violence, Time Is a Mother is a return and a forging forth all at once.
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MsLeah8417
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Absolutely love his poems.

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IndoorDame
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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Pickpick

I picked this up during #hyggehour last night and read most of it in one sitting. I‘ve been intimidated to read On Earth We‘re Briefly Gorgeous, and starting with his poetry felt more familiar. Now I want to read everything he‘s written! This was a comforting read for me. Pain mixed with beauty. The kind of spare writing that shuts out distractions and doesn‘t leave room to get lost in despair.

slategreyskies Great review! 🥰 7mo
Kitta I saw him speak when he came to NYC and it was fantastic. I bought this, night sky with exit wounds and on earth were briefly gorgeous. 7mo
IndoorDame @Kitta that sounds wonderful! 7mo
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Robotswithpersonality
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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Mehso-so

I'm willing to have my thoughts on this book disregarded as my tendency towards impatience in the face of incomprehension in the genre of poetry has reasserted itself for most of this volume. 'Dear Rose' I got like a gut punch, but most of the time it was like peeking in an art gallery window, glimpsing the creative result, but knowing you're not getting the full picture. 🤷🏼‍♂️ Lovely phrasing, some hard topics. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/2 Eager to try out his novel, perhaps I'll have better luck with his prose. ⚠️Allusions to suicidal ideation, drug addiction, racism 1y
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Robotswithpersonality
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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Book = artifact of one's thinking.
I like it. It's where the person's creativity, their head space was at, at a certain point in time. It doesn't speak for the author beyond this.

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Robotswithpersonality
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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Eloquent rage? Or sadness?
Resignation?
Phrasing sticks with you, regardless.

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TheReadingReceptionist
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
Mehso-so

I enjoyed parts of this .. i can't say that it was my absolute favorite tho

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vonnie862
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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Mehso-so

My husband loves poetry and asked me to read this with him. It was a quick read with different poetry styles. I did not fully understand all of the poem since not a poetry person. Some poems I re-read to get the message and I have a feeling if I read the whole thing again I would come to understand it better. I give it 3 ⭐️

#bookspin #2 @TheAromaofBooks

Ruthiella Did your husband like it? 2y
vonnie862 @Ruthiella he liked it a little bit more than me. He says he's going to re read it to fully appreciate it. 2y
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 2y
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mdemanatee
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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erzascarletbookgasm
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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Mehso-so

This is my first time reading Ocean Vuong. I don‘t know how to review a poetry collection as this, it‘s something so personal and written with such honesty. I won‘t say they‘re beautiful; but one can feel his pain and cold anger. The ones about the loss of his mother were touching. Others felt unfocused and I was lost. I‘ll probably still give On Earth We‘re Briefly Gorgeous a try.

HeatherBookNerd I struggled with this one but just loved Briefly Gorgeous. Give it a try. 2y
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Addison_Reads
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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Pickpick

I've read previous poems by Vuong and this collection shows a lot of maturity in the writing. Vuong paints powerful imagery with his words and overall this is a really strong collection.

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coffees
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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Pickpick

Started this one a few weeks ago, finally got through it. I'm not 💯 into the author's narration, there's something about all the stops that made it feel grating but the feelings and images he creates with his words are great and very heartbreaking, really enjoyed this

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Kitta
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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Some recent acquisitions. Do you have a favourite among these? What should I read next?

Branwen The Night Circus is so good! So is The Book of Cold Cases! 2y
Kitta @Branwen good to hear! I just borrowed those from a friend so hopefully getting to them soon! 2y
MicheleinPhilly Hunger wrecked me. Not an easy read at all but so amazing. 2y
Kitta @MicheleinPhilly I‘ve heard that about Hunger, I‘ll have to wait until I‘m in the right frame of mind! 2y
Kenyazero I haven‘t read the others, but I adored The Night Circus! 2y
15 likes5 comments
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Julsmarshall
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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A beautiful collection of atmospheric and powerful poems that manage to be both sad and hopeful. Shifting perspectives, snips of memory, a gorgeous homage to Vuong‘s mother and family and most of all, to himself. Stunning, I‘ll be thinking of some of these for a long time. Great on #audio and read by the author. #pride #poetry

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Floresj
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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Mehso-so

I truly enjoy Vuong‘s writing and think he‘s so talented. That being said, I had difficulty connecting with his writing or themes. I‘ll read his next, but this missed the mark for me.

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itsyvetperez
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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Pickpick

“Because the fairy tales were right. You‘ll need sorcery to make it out of here.”

- 4⭐️

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Twocougs
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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Pickpick

Everything this incredible human rights is fantastic!

Kitta I just got a copy! So excited to read it! 2y
27 likes1 comment
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HeatherBookNerd
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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Pickpick

This collection is steeped in grief and loss and memories of the past. I am not a big poetry reader and much of it felt a bit over my head, but I‘m fairly certain the deficiency is mine and not the author‘s. Even though I struggled, there were definitely some affecting moments and I appreciate Vuong‘s unique voice.

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JoJo13
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong

What if it wasn't the crash that made us, but the debris?

Yuki_Onna Do you keep guinea pigs??? How many of the sweeties live with you? 🤩 2y
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Chelsea.Poole
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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In a word: melancholic
More words, more do to with me than the book: For some reason, all the while I was anticipating this book‘s release, I had no idea it was poetry. Probably because I hate spoilers and rarely read the book‘s synopsis if it‘s an author I know I‘ll want to read anyway…? Anyhoo, did not see the poetry part, just the Ocean Vuong part and would have been less excited because poetry is typically not my thing.

Nute Love the unexpectedness of this moment. And now you‘re a willing poetry reader again, Chelsea! Yay!🤗 3y
Megabooks I‘m waiting for the audiobook. I knew it was poetry, but I never know if I‘ll like it more on audio or in print. I‘ll be prepared for the sad now. 3y
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ReadingEnvy
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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Those of us who have read Vuong's previous works will be familiar with his mother, and she died of cancer in 2019. So some of these poems deal with grief, also recovery, rural realities, family, and more. I listened to the audio of the poet reading them while reading the eARC and Ocean is a very small statured person with a quiet voice, but it's deceptive because his words always pack a punch.

Suet624 I missed the fact he had published another book. 3y
ReadingEnvy @Suet624 it comes out tuesdat 3y
53 likes2 comments
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lauraisntwilder
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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Started off Poetry Month with this amazing collection that isn't actually released until Tuesday, but Barnes and Noble sold it to me yesterday.

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Thndrstd
Time Is a Mother | Ocean Vuong
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Pickpick

Like his debut Night Sky with Exit Wounds, this collection shows the creative power and passionate humanity of an exciting new poet. Intimate and personal while also reaching for bold statements about the world we live in - war, sex, love, death, failure, beauty. This is a collection that will haunt you long after you read it. Highly recommended.

[I received an advanced e-galley of this book through Netgalley; due to be released April 5, 2022.]

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