How To Tell Your Next Story In a Unique Way
Experimenting with story structure and borrowing from other genres can improve our personal narratives
I recently finished Ocean Vuong’s latest book, Time is a Mother. Ocean Vuong is a young Vietnamese American writer who tells stories through poetry. His first novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, straddled the line between poetry and prose beautifully.
While reading Vuong’s poems in Time is a Mother, I was struck by how a unique structure can transform a story.
His poem Amazon History of a Former Nail Salon Worker stood out as especially poignant. Through a simple list organized by month of Amazon purchases, he tells the subtle story of his mother’s battle with cancer.
Dec.
Advil Maximum Strength
True-Gro Tulip Bulbs, 24 pcs
Jan.
Feb.
Healthline Compact Trigger Release Folding Walker
Yankee Candle, Midsummer’s Night, large jar
It’s the unusual structure of this poem that stands out, but also his word selection. Every item he selects has meaning in this list of purchases.
