On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

Synopsis: A novel in epistolary form, this is a letter by the narrator addressed to his mother. Little Dog is the 20 something year old son of a single mother, living with his mother and grandmother in Hartford Connecticut where they are now refugees from Vietnam. Little Dog was very small when they moved to the US, assimilated in language, so functions as the bridge between his grandmother and mother (both illiterate) and American life and culture. If this plot sounds a little like the author’s biography, well, that is probably not an accident.

Nicholette’s review: Is this a novel, a memoir, or a poem? Maybe the so called “auto-fiction.” This ostensibly fictional novel does have significant parallels to the author’s life story, so who knows. I was interested to learn more about Ocean Vuong, and his Wikipedia page led me to understand that he is also a poet. That makes sense as the writing is beautiful, and highly stylized. The coming of age story is pretty universal—we’ve all been teenagers! But the particular experience of a gay Vietnamese refugee took me a little out of my comfort zone. In the end, this seemed like a lot of style, but not a lot of substance. Reading almost any paragraph in the book is a delight, but the whole of it together was a tiny bit disappointing somehow. It made me think of how you might feel after going to a fancy restaurant and getting five wonderful desserts. Each of them completely delicious, but at the end, even though full, you’re not quite satisfied. I liked it, and am glad I read it, but it’s probably not for everyone.

Rating: 3/5

Corey’s review: I didn’t read this week’s book and based on the review I think I will skip it. The one thing I am not skipping is meal! This looks so delicious and perfect for summer.

Menu: This recipe from The Food Network is a favorite of mine. It is quick and easy, and of course, delicious.

Vietnamese Noodle Salad with Pulled Pork

8 ounces rice vermicelli

1/4 cup rice vinegar

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

Chopped romaine lettuce

2 cups shredded carrots

1 seedless cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced

2-2 1/2 cups pulled pork

1/2 cup packed fresh mint and/or basil, torn if large

1/3 cup salted peanuts, chopped

Sriracha, for topping

1) Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the noodles, stir and remove from the heat. Lit sit until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water, draining well. Cut into shorter lengths with kitchen shears.

2). combine the vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

3). Divide the lettuce among bowls, and top with the noodles, carrots and cucumber

4). Cook the pork in a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until hot and crisp, about 8 minutes. Divide among the salads. Drizzle with the dressing and top with the herbs and peanuts. Drizzle with sriracha.